


Under The Moonlight

by DispleasedWriter_Myst



Series: Midnight Activities [1]
Category: Vampire Knight (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, M/M, Non-Hunter Kiryuu Zero, One-Sided Attraction, Psychic Kiryuu Zero, Slow Build, Vampire Hunter Kiryuu Ichiru, Vampire Kiryuu Ichiru
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2020-09-26 00:13:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 50
Words: 105,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20380462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DispleasedWriter_Myst/pseuds/DispleasedWriter_Myst
Summary: In this game of chess, he was the Black King.Ruthless, cold, and calculating- he was doing all this to be with his White Queen. And if he played his cards just right, this would be naught but a simple task. But it wouldn't be a game without a rival.In this game, there is another king; the White King.Those amethyst eyes, seeing and knowing everything without ever being there. And that cryptic smile; alluring and teasing. Dressed in all white- pure and elegant; a worthy rival that puts the Black King on edge.And it's under the moonlight that they play.An AU in which some things are a bit different....[ 7/5/2020 ] Under Revision with sequel in the works!





	1. Prologue Pt. 1

**Author's Note:**

> It was truly a tragic night, yet all he can see is the stars in her eyes.
> 
> …
> 
> Disclaimer: Don't own VK whatsoever.

"_Did you know that there are stars in your eyes?_"

The woman stopped in her tracks at the tiny yet clear voice asking such a curious question. She looked over her shoulder towards the source of the voice, spotting the twins she had left alive in her wake. The eldest twin, with long silvery strands of hair and doe eyes the color of amethyst stones, stared straight into her pale lavender ones as he cradled his bloodstained brother in his arms.

_What a brave child_, she thought. She recalled how, as she had brutally murdered his parents and bitten his slowly turning twin, he remained calm and stared at her with his daydream-like gaze. Deciding to humor the child, she twisted around with a serene smile. The tip of a pink tongue peeking out to lick the blood off of her fingers.

"Oh? Is that so?"

The silver-haired child returned the mocking smile. "There are- And do you know what your stars indicate?"

She shook her head softly. "No. But do tell."

And right then and there, the mood changed quickly. That daydream gaze turned into a sharp and cold glare. "Your stars, _**vampire**_," he spat with distaste, "Indicate that you are already descending into darkness. And as that last star falls, the dark mist you were subjected from will pull you into the embrace you've longed for."

Of course, the woman had gotten the message. She, a longtime enemy towards humankind, was to die. She didn't exactly believe the child, for which child could sprout such cryptic nonsense in a roundabout way of saying she'll die? _Stars in her eyes? Dark mist? **Ha!**_ She must've truly traumatized the child for him to say things like that.

But still, she'll humor him for as long as he'd like.

"Well... I'll wait until all my stars have fallen into the dark. Until then..." With the whipping of the wind, she disappeared without a trace and left the twins there.

The elder twin let his glare relax back into his daydream gaze, staring down at the younger twin who harshly panted and lightly writhed in his embrace. With a soft smile, a porcelain hand reached to caress the short hair and hold the younger closer. Soft hums of a lullaby echoed as he rocked back and forth.

"_And yet another star falls._" 

_ Prologue Pt. 1: END _


	2. Prologue Pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was the first thing she remembers and is never able to forget

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second part of the prologue before a time skip. What fun.

She remembers that night- her first memory that she could ever recall.

She remembers feeling the bitter cold, wind prickling like ice against the fading warmth of her skin. Chocolate eyes gazed around, spotting grey all over her. The little girl was unable to see anything up ahead in the low visibility quality and so, she turned her attention to the collective ice crystals covering the ground. She picked up some of the white substance, feeling its coldness from under the pale-colored gloves.

_It's cold... _She remembers thinking, wondering why the pretty substance was like so.

_... Pure white snow_, a tiny voice whispers, raising more questions in the girl's mind.

_What is... White? What is snow? _

_It's something... Something that isn't red._ The voice answers in a tone desperate and scared. But this makes the girl confused, _So... Where is the red coming from?_

Fear suddenly creeps up in her throat, leaving a vile bile in the middle of it as her hair whipped about at the sudden sharp wind. A figure is seen in the distance, calmly walking in her direction. Suddenly, the girl doesn't want to be there anymore but doesn't move a single inch.

**Vampires... **

Once closer, she sees it's a man with an eerie smile on his face. The smile sent a shiver down her spine, clearly unsettling her but she doesn't say anything about it.

"Are you lost, little girl?" His tone, albeit kind, held some malicious intent behind it.

She knows this man isn't going to help her get to safety. He doesn't even wait for her answer as he settles her answer himself.

"Then... You wouldn't mind if I..." He lets his mouth open just the slightest in a big grin, sharp canines flashing as his eyes turn an unsettling blood red. "**_Drink your blood?_**"

She isn't able to do anything much when he lunges at her, causing her to fall back with a desperate squeak of fear. He forcibly tilts her head to the side with his large hand as she struggles in his iron grip. Why was he trying to hurt her? Bad man! She screams internally. No, no, no! All that she knew was that she had to get away from him.

**They are _beasts_ in human form who drink the _blood_ of humans...**

He leans towards her exposed neck, mouth opened wide.

**SPLAT! **

Suddenly, the weight of the man is gone and all she could feel is a splash of a warm liquid falling on her face and over the rest of her clothing. Chocolate eyes stare blankly, shivering in both fear and the lack of warmth. The pile of dust - when did that get there? - scatters into the air alongside the wind, the man no longer in sight. Instead, a teenage boy with the same scary red eyes stares at her as he calmly brings his bloodstained arm back to his person.

**Vampires do exist. It's just something only a few know about.**

"Are you alright?" The teen asks, tongue licking the red liquid off of his fingers as if he hadn't shoved it through that thing.

She stares, not knowing what to say or do. He only smiles and reaches out his same bloodied hand for her to grab a hold of. This boy... She could trust him. He saved her, so he'll be the one to take her away from this place and out of the cold. She reaches out her hand and gently placed it in his much larger hand.

And as the snow fell, she ignored the warning as she was swept away.

_ Prologue Pt. 2: END _


	3. Ten Years

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time has passed and it's time to meet the story's protagonists before everything begins to change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new chapter longer than the last ones, how wonderful. I'm really surprised people have actually read this but please continue on this journey and bare with me.
> 
> From here, you'll definitely see some differences. Whether or not they're good, you'll have to determine that yourselves.
> 
> Do enjoy reading.

\-- **Cross Academy's Moon Dormitory** \--

"Okay! Move it and don't push! Everybody move back, please!"

The loud voice came from the small brunette who came to a stop in front of the group of gathering female students, getting between the gates and the girls with her arms outstretched. Her face scrunched up in an attempt to look stern and strict, yet only giving off a non-threatening aura as she continued to try and get the students to go back to their dormitory.

"It's curfew time for everybody in the Day Class!" Announced Yuuki Cross. "So just go back to your dorms!"

**At the prestigious private school of Cross Academy, the students are divided into two classes; the **Day Class** and the **_Night Class_**. They share the school facilities in rotation but when the classes are to change... It's a complete mess.**

One of the girls contorted her face in irritation. "Don't order us around just because you're a perfect!" She screamed, getting sounds of agreement as they pushed forward.

Yuuki struggled, stumbling back a few steps in her attempt to hold the girls back.

**Click! **

The sound startles the brunette as she realizes what was happening. _A-Ah!_ She panicked. _The gate...! _

**The reason why the Day Class students were crowding in front of the gates is for only one reason...**

"Look!" One of the girls said in awe as they stopped pushing to stare.

**Because of the elite group of students that belong to the Night Class... **

_Creak... _

**And they're all absolutely gorgeous.**

The blonde that stepped out first, greeted the girls with a flirtatious smile. "Good morning, ladies!" He sang heartily. "Still as pretty as ever, I see!"

It went silent as Yuuki straightened herself up and stared blankly at the orderly lined girls. It wasn't until the girls squealed in delight and rushed forward to admire the gorgeous group of people in front of them, did Yuuki get caught off guard. She squeaked as she was pushed aside and fell face first into the floor.

Yuuki didn't notice the shadow as she pushed herself up. She only looked up when a hand gently pressed itself on her shoulder and with a gasp, she felt her face heat up. The brunet man only gave a gentle smile.

"Are you alright, Yuuki?" Came the velvety voice as brown locks fell into his wine-red eyes. "They're always difficult to manage."

The younger brunette blushed tomato red. "K-Kaname!"

_Sta-re_

The other students stared at the scene. The perfect jumped up and flattened the back of her skirt. "Y-Yes! I'm just fine!" Came her stuttered reply, Yuuki fixed her bangs and looked down shyly.

Kaname only chuckled at the first year perfect. "You're always so formal with me... It makes me very sad."

Yuuki became flustered and tried to explain herself. "O-Oh! I-I didn't mean to! It's only because you saved my life!"

**_Kaname Kuran_, the Night Class Representative as well as the Dorm Leader for the Moon Dormitory. The one who had saved Yuuki that snowy night ten years prior. **

"It all happened so long ago..." Kaname reached out to pat Yuuki's head, his hand threading through her hair. "Don't worry about that."

Suddenly, a hand appeared and snatched Kaname's wrist. With a quick and rough tug, Kaname's hand slipped from Yuuki's hair. Wine-red eyes turned to stare into narrowed lilac eyes. Yuuki could only blink before assessing the situation playing out in front of her.

"Class is starting..." Said the newcomer with a tight-lipped smile. "Kuran-senpai."

Kaname jerked his hand out of the grip, turned to walk away and catch up to the rest of the Night Class. He glanced over his shoulder with a mocking smile directed towards the newcomer.

"How scary, Mr. Perfect." Was all he said before continuing on his way.

Right then, a Day Class girl approached the brunet with a rose in hand. She fidgeted timidly as he came to a stop in front of her. Glancing up shyly, she stuttered out. "K-Kuran-senpai! Um... Would you... Please accept this?"

With the rose presented, Kaname gently took the rose from the girl and smiled. "Thank you."

The girl squeaked out some sort of reply and ran off with her friend by her side. She squealed, not believing she had just given one of the most handsomest boys in the Night Class a rose.

And as all this went on, the newcomer turned Yuuki with an icy smile, silver strands following in his wake. "I know it isn't any of my business, but you do remember the rules, yes?"

Yuuki froze.

**_Ichiru Kiryuu_, a Day Class student and also a perfect alongside Yuuki and one more person.**

"I-I know..." She pouted, avoiding his stern gaze. "They're different from the rest of us..."

**The Night Class aren't just an elite group of students. They hold a secret never to be revealed... The fact that the Night Class consists of vampires.**

Ichiru turned to the group of girls, "Now, if everyone can kindly go back to their dorms?"

Hearts formed in the girls' eyes as they all nodded and shouted in unison. "Okay!" They all left together, satisfied that they were able to see their idols despite the perfects interrupting.

Yuuki then glared up at Ichiru, "And where were you?!"

Ichiru smiled, "I was searching for my dear brother, Yuuki-chan. You know this."

**Rustle... **

Both heads turned towards the direction of a random bush as it continued to rustle and shake- and out popped up a boy with identical looks to Ichiru, his hair seemingly longer and cascading past his shoulders. He looked up with a soft expression, a dreamy smile to match with his day-dream like amethyst eyes. The look-alike looked around and saw that the Day Class girls were long gone- a sign of his lateness.

"My apologies..." Came the dream-like tone. "I had- _ack!_"

The boy stumbled forward and into Ichiru's arms. Ichiru only sighed and looked down at the boy in his arms.

"I told you to be careful, Aniki."

**_Zero Kiryuu_, Ichiru's older twin brother, the final perfect and yet another Day Class student. He's mostly known for his day-dream expression, voice and his cryptic smiles. **

Zero glanced up and stuck his tongue out, "I was being careful." He moved out of his brother's arms and stood straight. He noticed Ichiru's irritated aura and guessed it had to do with Kaname-senpai, whom Ichiru had yet to get along with.

"You're late like always, Zero." Yuuki crossed her arms.

The elder twin only glanced down at Yuuki, "My apologies, Hime. I had gotten one of my dazes and it turned out to be a very long one..."

Yuuki only hummed in response, ignoring the warmth creeping up on her face at the nickname she had yet to grow used to being called.

**Acting as perfects was just a cover. The real job of perfects is to act as the school guardians to protect the secrets of the Night Class...**

_ Chapter 1: END _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter done and many more to go.   
Might make art for this, who knows to when I'll actually get to it though. 
> 
> Until next update, dear readers.


	4. Secrets In The Academy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cross Academy has many secrets, but it's biggest one must not be uncovered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter after an eventful day. Did a lot of things and nearly forgot I was to update every two days until I've run out of prepared chapters. Perhaps we may get somewhere instead of blatantly following the manga? I wouldn't count on it just yet. 
> 
> Do enjoy the chapter.

**There is a reason why the Day Class must remain oblivious to the school's secret. Because they deliberately prevent interactions of both classes. **

"This is beginning to become ridiculous."

Ichiru glowered at Chairman Kaien Cross, who casually leaned back in his chair with a mug of hot chocolate in his hands. Yuuki and Zero stood in the background, watching the scene with distinctly different reactions. The brunette only sighed at the daily interaction while the snow-haired twin smiled with twinkles of mirth in his eyes.

**SLAM!**

The younger twin slammed his hands on the desk, leaning forward as he began to rant. "Do you really expect that we are supposed to guard those **_bloodsuckers_**-" Ichiru cleared his throat before calmly correcting himself, "The _Night Class_ with these obsessive females, who do everything they can in their power to get to their idols?"

The Chairman only blew lightly on his chocolate, "I know it's hard to deal with every time..."

Ichiru's eyebrow twitched, "Then please get some people who I can at least work with and will be able to hold back the students."

Yuuki bristled. "Says the one with the brother complex!"

The younger twin only sent her a small glare back and turned to the Chairman. Zero hummed wistfully, Yuuki wasn't wrong in a sense.

"Impossible," denied Kaien, sipping his chocolate. "The role of the perfects isn't something I can give to just anyone. If the Day Class and Night Class are to co-exist, the role of guardians are critical. You three are the only ones I can trust."

Kaien sighed. "Besides... It's a job with long hours, sleepless nights and no respect... No one would take it." He finalized with a smile. "And I know my loving children won't let me down."

The pressure on the poor desk increased and eventually broke it in half, Ichiru scowled. "Chairman, I do acknowledge that you've _graciously_ taken care of me and Aniki, but I don't believe that was made _official_."

Kaien waved his hands, "Don't obsess over the details."

Ichiru sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yuuki, you're more of his child than anyone. Please convince him that we need more people..."

Yuuki shrugged, "The Night Class seems to get along well with the others." She beamed, "I'm just happy to help!"

The Chairman cried, "You're such a good girl, Yuuki! I'm so proud of you!"

Then, he began on a rant that Yuuki tried to listen to, Ichiru completely ignored, and Zero simply stood there, staring out the window happily. Ichiru pivoted on his heels and began walking. He grasped his brother's wrist and dragged him along.

"Me and Aniki are going on patrol, this crazy man is all yours." Ichiru muttered.

Zero waved at Yuuki before closing the door behind him.

"It's such a shame. But I do understand why Ichiru feels the way he does." Kaien clutched his scarf. "There are still evil creatures who pray upon humans. That's why it would be chaos if the secret of the Night Class got out..."

**SLAM!**

Yuuki slammed her hands against the desk in irritation, and unknowingly fixed it. "Kaname-senpai would never do anything like that! And I'm sure they are plenty of vampires like him too!"

The Chairman stared at her, "Yuuki..."

Yuuki walked towards the window and opened it, preparing to jump as she looked over her shoulder. "That's why everything is going to be okay, Chairman! Just leave it to us!"

"Of course!" Cried Kaien.

Yuuki hopped out the window, "I'm going!"

She landed on her feet and began to run. 

… 

"Cross! Cross!"

The teacher huffed, "Goodness, nothing wakes that girl up!"

Yuuki snored, continuing her sleep unbothered. The teacher moved on with the attendance.

"Kiryuu twins!"

Zero hummed and with his famous day dream smile, earning sighs from the females around. "Ichiru is sleeping, though." He announced, running his hand through his twin's hair.

The teacher sighed and class went on.

It soon came to an end to which Yuuki decided to wake up. The brunette yawned and stretched her arms over her head, leaning down to place her chin on the desk.

"Uwah," she whined, "Not detention again."

The blonde student next to her only continued packing her bag. "It's your fault for staying out all night then sleep all day. That's only something a vampire would do."

Yuuki jumped up at the word vampire. "E-Eh?! You don't really believe in vampires... Do you?"

"Of course not."

Suddenly, an idea came to the brunette. "Yori... Will you come to detention with me, today? Please? It sucks when you're with the twin who bullies you all the time!"

"No way." Yori declined. "I thought you guys were good friends?"

"As if!" Scoffed Yuuki before she began on a rant. "Ichiru, despite being charming smiles and the ideal gentleman, is a cold block of ice and unlike Zero, he doesn't even try to hold up a conversation with me!"

Ichiru turned his attention at the mention of his name, sending Yuuki an icy smile. "It's very rude to talk about someone where they can hear you."

"I'm saying it because I know you can hear me!" She stuck her tongue out at the younger twin.

Zero chuckled. _Those two argue like an old married couple_, he thought with a wistful sigh as he walked out of the classroom with a light skip in his step.

Yori made her way towards the door, "Now that I think about it... You guys are perfect for each other. By the way, you're late..."

Yuuki gaped. "Yori, wait!"

[ Time Skip; Night Time ]

"Look outside. It's becoming dark." The teacher of the Night Class began. "We, in the Night Class, are the first in the world of our kind to taste the newly developed blood tablets... Not only are we the pride of the school, we are the pride of the entire vampire race."

One of the female students hums. "Somehow, I really doubt that."

"We're just a study group, anyway..." Another student comments.

"I don't know about that... Co-existing with humans like this is a huge step forward, right Kaname?" Another female student looked toward the brunet vampire.

Kaname flipped the page of his book, "That's right." He looked to the side. "After all, we have to thank the Chairman... For everything that we've learned here."

_ Chapter 2: END _


	5. In The Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was never a dull moment, especially in the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An update. Slowly getting somewhere here. Next chapter should build up some tension, so don't worry too much. 
> 
> Do enjoy.

_Such a lovely night_, came the wistful thought from one Zero Kiryuu.

He gazed up at the starless night sky with a serene smile, feeling the cool night breeze flutter against the warmth of his skin. Behind him stood Yuuki and his twin brother, Ichiru, watching the scenery for any stray Day Class students lingering about past their curfew... Well, at least one of the three school perfects was doing their job.

Amethyst eyes turned their attention to the young brunette who stared through the window. Following Yuuki's gaze, he found that she was staring at Kaname Kuran who read his book without interruption. Yuuki began to blush, the red tint visible against her skin.

"_How is your beloved Kaname doing tonight, Yuuki?_" Ichiru and Zero asked in scary unison.

Yuuki jumped at the sudden question asked in sync, tearing her gaze from the brunet vampire and into the distance like Ichiru had. She quickly stuttered out a reply.

"I-It's not like I was only looking at Kaname!"

_Wow, she gave herself away real fast._ Thought Zero with twinkling eyes.

"Everyone in the Night Class is behaving perfectly tonight! And it doesn't look like anyone from the Day Class is wandering either!" Yuuki then placed both hands on her hips with a laugh. "Yup! Looks like it'll be a quiet and peaceful night! Probably don't even need to be here, haha!"

Zero shook his head, knowing full well her attention was upon the elder vampire. _But..._ He glanced at Ichiru, the twinkling in his eyes suddenly not as bright and the dream-like smile dimmed. _Even if he didn't show it... _

"... The Chairman believes the Night Class to be pacifists. I, however, do not." Ichiru's eyes narrowed as if recalling something. "And I will not let my guard down over this fact."

Yuuki looked down.

"And I don't understand why an adult like the Chairman believes in such nonsense." He turned to look at Yuuki. "You've said it yourself once before. The reason they look like humans... _Is so that they can easily hunt down humans more efficiently._"

The brunette flinched but said nothing.

Ichiru pivoted on his heels, "I'm going on patrol."

Chocolate eyes watched the back of Ichiru as he walked away. She couldn't understand Ichiru most of the time, nor could she understand Zero even more than that. Both were confusing to her ever since that moment they met four years ago.

When the Chairman brought the twins home with him, she didn't understand why he had brought them to their home until he had explained it to her.

** _"These boys are Zero and Ichiru Kiryuu... They'll be living with us from now on. Yuuki, their family was killed by vampires."_ **

And while one boy glowered down at the floor with a burning hatred, the other looked _too_ calm for comfort and had such a smile that looked as if he was daydreaming. That was the first time she had seen such contradicting figures- even more so than she saw such pure hatred in another's eyes. Yuuki knows that not all vampires are good, she does know that. Maybe her own parents that she couldn't remember were killed by vampires. Yuuki sighed, they were just too confusing and contradicting with one another.

"Geez..." Yuuki huffed, spotting two Day Class students below.

"Oh my, it seems like two slippery snakes have evaded our traps." Zero mused, confusing Yuuki with the sudden analogy.

Yuuki shook her head, Zero was always going to be weird. "I'll go handle this."

She jumped off the ledge and gripped one of the tree branches, she swung herself around it once before landing on her feet with grace. "You two!" She shouted, startling the girls. "State your names and class!"

The brunette straightened and fixed the perfect band on her arm. "Wandering about after dark is strictly prohibited under school regulations! It's very dangerous so please return to your dorms immediately!"

One of the girls huffed. "We just came to take photos of the Night Class. What the hell's your problem?"

It is only then that Yuuki noticed one of the girls was injured and dabbing gently at her wound with her handkerchief. Yuuki gasped and pulled the two up and pushed them forward so that they'll get to the safety of their dorms.

"This is bad... Quickly! Return to the dorms!"

The girl gaped, "Huh? Why?"

"Just-" On instinct, she pulled out her retracting rod from its holster and pulled it, making it longer as she swung around. "Who's there?!"

A hand made contact with her rod, chocolate eyes looking up to see two Night Class students. Electricity crackled around the hand that caught it, stinging it with every crack.

"How scary," drawled the orange-haired student, Akatsuki Kain. "I'd expect nothing less from the Chairman's foundling."

The Day Class girls gasped. "I-It's Akatsuki Kain and Hanabusa Aidou from the Night Class... No way!"

"We smelt blood and decided to look around... You're really mean, Yuuki." The blonde, Hanabusa Aidou, said chuckling and approaching the brunette.

"After all... We came here to especially see you."

A light breeze blew, the scent wafting into the blonde's nose. "Ah, such a lovely scent... The scent of your _**blood**_..."

The girls squealed, not getting what he meant but were caught up in the high of being so close to two Night Class students. "Kyaa! Did you hear that? He said we smell nice!"

Yuuki frowned and went into a defense stance, "Aidou! If you even lay a single finger on one of these girls, I won't..."

Aidou slid his hand against the rod, ignoring the crackling electricity and gently caressed Yuuki's hand. His other hand holding the rod firmly in place. "Did you fall earlier?"

The brunette was confused at the sudden question but then realized quickly what was happening.

"The scent I was talking about..." He pulled Yuuki's hand away from the rod to reveal the bleeding wound on her palm. "Is the scent of your blood, _Yuuki_."

Meanwhile, blank amethyst eyes watched without its usual luster, an unusual frown marred delicate features. Zero sat upon a tree branch with Bloody Rose in hand, ready to fire and aiming in the direction of Aidou. He lets the scene play in his mind, knowing Yuuki was doing just fine despite her current predicament.

It wouldn't do him good to interrupt now. Not when everything's going according to plan.

Yuuki attempted to pull away from Aidou but the blond vampire was too strong.

"You are really tempting me," he purred, lifting her hand up to his mouth. Aidou's fangs peaked out, gently sinking into the soft flesh of Yuuki's hand.

The girls screamed, "A vampire?!"

"Impossible!"

Yuuki felt Aidou's grip tighten, rendering herself defenseless as Aidou yanked her rod away from her and threw it to the ground. She was pulled closer to Aidou as she struggled.

Aidou removed his fangs, "I want more..."

He looked down at Yuuki with a trail of blood dribbling down his mouth and down his chin. "May I have some from your neck?"

By this point, the Day Class girls have long fainted from shock. Akatsuki, the orange-haired vampire, only watched the scene with clear gloom on his face at the situation playing in front of him. But before he could attempt to do anything to stop him...

"D-Don't you dare! Let me go, Aidou!"

_Swish_

Aidou felt a cool metal poking into his skin, all eyes turning to Ichiru who only smiled politely at Aidou but the smile was filled with murderous intent and was nowhere near kind.

"Drinking blood whilst on school grounds is strictly prohibited, Aidou-san. Seems like you couldn't keep your true nature under control, huh..." Ichiru let the smile fall and narrowed his eyes dangerously. "**Vampire**."

Zero blinked, the luster and glossy features returning to the previously dull and blank amethyst eyes. _So here comes the White Knight in shining armor_... He fixed Bloody Rose in his hand, knowing full well that Aidou was to say something, that something quickly able to trigger his younger twin.

Aidou licked his lips, "It was only a taste."

"Ichiru, don't!" Came Yuuki's cry.

**BANG!**

Aidou had let go of Yuuki's hand as Ichiru's blade retracted. He was so surprised that he had ducked and clearly forgotten that there was a third perfect lingering about. There was only one person who wielded a gun in this academy but where...?

**Rustle... **

All eyes turned upward towards the tree where the rustling came from, everyone suddenly noticing the third and final perfect sitting on a tree branch with his knee bent up close to his chest while the other dangled. The silver gun glinted in the moonlight and pointed in the direction where Aidou's head would've been if he hadn't ducked.

"_Bang_." Came the soft and cheery voice, followed by such an innocently childish smile that sent shivers down everyone's spines.

Ichiru, being the first one to snap out of his daze, looked at his brother with a stern gaze. Zero could've long stopped this little charade but found it somehow necessary to not interrupt until now- he could hear Zero's wistful sigh, saying _'It's no good to interrupt fate's plans.'_

Akatsuki turned his attention to the bright violet shine with slight awe. He stared at the insignia. "What the..."

"It's called Bloody Rose." Came the velvet voice of Kaname Kuran. Said vampire stepped out of the trees and toward the group, clearly displeased at what had unfolded. "You should be more careful, Aidou. It was made to kill creatures like us."

Kaname then grabbed Aidou by the collar. "Well then, I'll take care of these fools. The Chairman will need a full report. Is that okay, Ichiru?"

Ichiru, who tensed up at the arrival of the brunet vampire, nodded jerkily. "That is alright, Kuran-senpai."

Kaname turned his attention to the orange-haired vampire who stood dumbfounded. "Kain."

"Me?"

"Why didn't you stop Aidou? You are just as guilty as he is." Kaname then shifted his attention to Yuuki.

"Yuuki, about the girls who have fainted. Shall we take care of that too?"

Said girl shook her head. "Don't worry, we'll take them to the Chairman and have their memories modified." Yuuki turned to the fainted girls. "Poor things..."

Kaname nodded, "I see... Then I am sorry about all of this. I hope this hasn't awoken any bad memories for you, Yuuki."

Yuuki blushed, "Oh no! He didn't hurt me so it's fine."

Just as Kaname went to turn around, he came to a stop when his wine-red eyes met glossy amethyst eyes twinkling with mirth.

"You should watch your pieces more closely," Came the breathy whisper. "Lest you lose them to the _White_ _Knight_, beloved _King_."

Kaname, clearly understanding what the eldest Kiryuu twin was saying, nodded with a polite smile. "I will be sure to do so, Zero."

Zero beamed, those eyes of his becoming even more glossy and dream-like that it nearly snatched the breath away from Kaname. "That is very good, it would be very tragic for your perfectly planned out game to end so soon."

He moved out of the vampire's way, allowing him to drag away the two vampires. Once out of sight, he turned to Yuuki who stared in a daze.

_I had always known Kaname was different.._. Yuuki thought with a silly smile. She was snapped out of it when a hand gently grasped her wrist and pulled it up. Yuuki looked up through her eyelashes at Zero, who had stolen Ichiru's tie and tied it over her injured hand.

"Z-Zero..."

The elder twin hummed some familiar and unknown melody, ignoring the girl. He gently slid her hand into his much larger one and began to pull her away. "We must take care of the slippery ones now that they've been caught." Came the wistful reply.

With a bounce in his step, Zero swayed side to side and hummed. "_We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz_!"

It wasn't like Yuuki would've noticed it, but Ichiru hesitated and seemed distracted before following behind. The scent was tantalizing and it was driving him insane- the way it lingered in the air, thick, heavy and metallic that he could've tasted it. His nose twitched as he quickly collected himself.

"It reeks of blood now. And it's disgusting..." He muttered under his breath.

**Ever since that day four years ago, when their parents were killed, the twins were secluded to everyone but themselves. Always weary, carrying a weapon by their sides...**

… 

_Ichiru and Zero had opened up a little more than when they first came here, but_... Yuuki thought, drying her hair. _It just feels like they've closed up even more now._

The door creaked open and in walked Ichiru without a care. The sound of the hair drier droned on for a bit before she gasped at the sight of Ichiru's figure in the mirror. She whipped around in shock at the newcomer.

"What are you doing in here?!"

Ichiru sent her an irritated glance. "Oh hush. The dorm showers are closed until dawn, Yuuki." He then began to take off his shirt. "It's not like I want to be here while you are anyways..."

Yuuki threw a bottle at Ichiru, hitting him square in the back of the head.

"I'm still a girl, so don't start stripping!"

Ichiru's face said it all, the god damned girl... Didn't he just tell her it wasn't like he wanted to be here when she was? Does he have to repeat himself as if she was stupid? As if sensing his thoughts, Yuuki huffed.

"You just thought that I was stupid if you had to repeat yourself, didn't you?" Yuuki glared, "I can read your mind jerk!"

She whipped around to face the mirror and continue on. Out of nowhere, Ichiru approached her and sniffed. Yuuki bristled.

"What?"

Ichiru rolled his eyes. "Seems like the scent of blood is gone."

"Ah," Yuuki realized what Ichiru was talking about. "My hand stopped bleeding awhile ago. But if it's really like they say in the old legends, I might turn into a vampire..." Yuuki then looked up in thought. "Ten years ago, I was attacked by a stray vampire. Maybe, my blood's unusually sweet or something like that?"

Ichiru's eyebrow twitched. "And how would I know that...?"

"Right..." Yuuki muttered, continuing to dry her hair.

Ichiru stared at her bare neck for a few seconds as she continued.

"Oh! But I'll be more careful from now on," Yuuki grinned, "After all, I'm the Day and Night guardian of Cross Academy! I can survive no matter how much blood vampires drink!"

Yuuki noticed that Ichiru had turned around and stopped paying attention to her. "Hey!" 

… 

"Ten days suspension?"

**At Cross Academy, the Day and Night Class live side by side. However...**

"It was still worth it for a taste of Yuuki's blood," Aidou sighed. "I don't think I'll be able to endure living off tablets any longer. Her blood was so delicious..."

Aidou trailed off when he spotted Kaname coming his way.

**SMACK! **

"_Pardon?_" Came the cold voice, Kaname glaring down at Aidou.

"Sorry..." Pouted the blond vampire.

**There is a secret that is kept from the Day Class- that every one of the Night Class students are vampires, but...**

_What has yet to be realized is that there is yet another secret ready to unravel._

_ Chapter 3: END  _


	6. Chocolate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On St. Valentine's, confessions of love and chocolate are common... Though, not many share that sentiment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update, update, an update! … I may or may not have sang that in my head. This update in particular is processing faster than the last five. Next chapter, however, is where things begin to get heated. 
> 
> Do enjoy.

\-- **Cross Academy's Moon Dorms** \--

**It was that time of the year.**

**The time where the Day Class students put all their blood, sweat, and tears into making a special something... Chocolate. That's right, it happens to be St. Valentine's Day and all the girls were lined up and ready to give their chocolates to their idols.**

Yuuki Cross panted as she zig-zagged through the crowd.

Picking her pace, she finally reached the gate and maneuvered up the wall to stand tall on top of the ledge. Yuuki gave an exhausted sigh, "It's still morning... Are they really planning to wait here for the Night Class?" She muttered to herself in disbelief.

_TWE-EEET! _

"Classes are starting now for all Day Class students! Go back to your classrooms!"

Out of the corner of her eyes, the brunette spotted a student on the shoulders of another. With a box in one hand, shakily trying to get it over the gate's ledge and being encouraged by the girls below her. The silver whistle in Yuuki's mouth nearly fell, they were really trying this year!

"HEY YOU! Get down from there!"

The loud order from the petite brunette startled both girls, the girl who was steadying the other wobbled which threw off the one on her shoulders as she began to fall backward. Yuuki felt her heart drop and went to sprint towards the falling girl, but luckily, she was caught by someone. Just a glimpse of the silver hair and Yuuki sighed in relief.

Ichiru had caught the student, holding her bridal style without a problem.

The student, who blushed at the closeness of one of the most beautiful students in the Day Class, stuttered out her thanks. However, it went ignored at the perfect frowned, now this Valentine's Day thing was getting out of hand.

"You..." He placed the girl, helping her stand on her own two feet. Anyone could've seen that he was now irritated by the situation.

**CLAP! **

All eyes turned to the third and final perfect who stood behind his brother with a serene smile and glossy eyes.

"Members of the Night Class don't leave the Moon Dorms during daylight hours." Sighed Zero. "If you must give them presents, then you'll have to wait until dusk. You can come back then when the classes change."

"If something like this happens again, we'll personally make it our business that Valentine's Day will be suspended until graduation." Finished Ichiru with a cold smile.

The girls shuffled, going to class as the twin perfects had ordered. It seemed like they were being very serious about this and grumbled about how unfair they were being. As if they weren't misbehaving that much. Once they had left, the perfects had turned to one another, Yuuki now off of the gate's ledge.

"You know you guys don't have to resort to banning Valentine's... That just makes you an enemy of all ladies. That destroys all your chances of getting chocolates." Yuuki pointed out.

Ichiru barely spared her a glance, "Then would you have liked them to continue on with their nonsense?"

Zero tilted his head, a confused puppy look on his face. "And we care why? They were being very bad."

Yuuki sweat-dropped at both of their responses, the two can be surprisingly similar in their responses when they want to.

"Besides, this is to prevent any Day Class students from finding out what the Night Class really is." Ichiru added.

"Yeah..." Yuuki looked towards the Moon Dorms. "We'll have to be extra careful tonight."

… 

"I know it's Valentine's Day. I also realize that the school is buzzing with excitement! But there is also an increased danger that something might go wrong- that something will expose the Night Class' true identity. For that reason, I expect the three of you to be even more diligent as ever!" The Chairman beamed. "You are, after all, the school's guardians!"

Yuuki saluted, "Yes sir!"

Ichiru only sighed, "Why can we not ban it all together?"

"Because ladies are very territorial when it comes to affection, brother dearest." Zero sighed, gazing out the window.

Kaien hummed in agreement, "Zero is right. Unless we want to inspire a revolt, it's best to give them an outlet."

The man shrugged, "After all, my little vampires are too adorable. Such dear creatures. I could never be so cruel as to keep them from their devoted fans..."

Ichiru gave an icy smile as the brunette read aloud his thoughts. "_'Please don't praise those creatures in front of me.'_ is what Ichiru is thinking."

Zero snickered, knowing full well that was what Ichiru had on his mind.

Kaien sighed, "I understand that vampires and humans have been mortal enemies for centuries now... But there are vampires who wish to co-exist with us peacefully. It's important to teach them to have pride in taking the first steps to the bridge that divides our two races..."

He looked out the window. "Ichiru, even though you may think its impossible now. Someday, I want you to understand it too..."

Ichiru let his smile drop and looked to the side bitterly. "You and I both know full well why that's impossible."

After that, there was an awkward silence, causing Yuuki to panic. Out of nowhere, Yuuki pulled out a piece of paper.

"Here you go! For you, Chair- _Father!_ Happy Valentine's Day!" Yuuki presented the paper to the Chairman.

He gingerly took the folded paper from Yuuki's hands. Yuuki then handed Zero his own piece of folded paper and threw the other one towards Ichiru, who caught it. The twins opened their paper in sync and read its contents.

"Twenty coupons for Yuuki's shoulder massages!" Kaien squealed happily.

"One slave coupon." Ichiru read aloud.

"And five Free Hug coupons." Zero added.

The younger twin glanced at Yuuki, "The exact same thing you gave us in Primary School."

Yuuki eyed him sideways, "Sue me."

Then, she grabbed both Ichiru and Zero's arms and dragged them out while the Chairman was still distracted by the given coupons from his beloved daughter.

"Come on, first period is starting!"

She continued to drag the twins along, slowing down at some point in their walk.

"Why..." Came the mutter.

Both the twins had heard it but only Ichiru said something about it. "What is it?"

Yuuki shook her head, "No... It's nothing."

_Ichiru hates vampires because they murdered his family four years ago... Zero doesn't even voice his opinions even if asked... _Yuuki thought. _So why does the Chairman say things like that knowing he's reopening old wounds?_

As Yuuki walked, her hair flowed slightly and revealed a bit of her naked neck. Amethyst eyes, who had now lost their gloss, watched as the younger twin eyed the brunette's neck in a daze. At seeing this, Zero removed his hand from Yuuki's without her noticing and gently touched the arm Yuuki held onto. It worked somewhat as Ichiru snapped out of his daze and jerked his arm from Yuuki's grip and Zero's hand.

Yuuki came to a stop and looked back at Ichiru. "Ah, sorry. I forgot I was still holding on to you."

Ichiru avoided her gaze, fingers twitching to grab his brother's hand for support. "It's fine."

The brunette was confused at Ichiru's reaction.

Zero, however, knew exactly what was going on. And he didn't like it, not at all. A feeling of dread settled at his core and yet no one but Ichiru noticed the frown marring his face and the lack of luster and gloss in his eyes. Something bad was happening in the future.

_But it's not like I could do anything about it_, thought Zero as the images flashed by.

… 

Yuuki yawned, feeling refreshed.

"Aah! Only one more lesson after this!" She sighed happily.

"Everyone's getting restless," pointed out Yori as the girls chattered about who was giving their chocolate to who.

Yuuki glanced curiously at Yori, "Aren't you going to give anyone chocolates?"

"Nah," Yori denied. "Can't be bothered."

"Not even for the Night Class?"

"To be honest, I prefer the Day Class to the Night Class." Yori said honestly before adding. "What about you?"

Yuuki blushed, "Wha- I'm not either..."

"I can see the ribbon, Yuuki."

The brunette looked the other way. "Well... Truth is, Zero made these... When I tried to make it myself, it was a disaster. It's so humiliating that Zero found me struggling and offered to help me make my chocolates..."

Yori ignored the icy aura from behind her. "So? Who's it for? I mean, it's clearly not for the icy guy who seems to be glaring daggers from behind us."

Zero chuckled, watching as Ichiru directed his famous icy smile at Yuuki. "You're a perfect, why are you giving chocolates?" Ichiru interrogated, "Are you really going to give it to him?"

_Ichiru really sounds like an overprotective mother_, Zero mused as he watched the scene unfold. Unknowingly to his brother and Yuuki, he pushed the decorated box deeper into his pocket.

… 

[ Time skip; Dusk ]

"Okay, okay! Get in line, get in line!" Yuuki yelled. "YOU THERE! Get back in your place!"

"Woah! This year all the girls are going into hysterics! It's awesome, so cool!" Aidou said in awe.

By his side, Akatsuki yawned. "I'm still sleepy."

"Well, I'm wide awake!"

"Okay!" Yuuki then began to explain the rules to the Night Class. "Welcome to the traditional Valentine's Day, _'Who's the winner of the Day Class Girls' Chocolate?'_ Line up Race! All the members of the Night Class are to walk to their individually assigned gates. Once in position, the girls will line up and give their chocolates to you. Please stay calm and cooperate with one another."

Yuuki placed a hand on her hip and pointed to the Night Class, "Understood? I would like everyone to keep in mind that this is not a game. It means a lot to the girls, so take it seriously!"

But at this, Aidou ignored Yuuki and made a bee-line straight to the girls who squealed in delight.

"They're mine! All mine!"

It isn't until Kaname speaks up, does he stop in his tracks. "_Aidou._"

Aidou froze in his tracks as Kaname continued. "Remember to mind your manners, understand?"

The blond looked over his shoulder with a sheepish smile, "Yes, dorm leader..."

Yuuki ran forward to keep some girls from pushing while the Night Class students went to their designated gates. As Kaname was passing by, a girl shyly presented her gift to him. "P-Please accept this, Kuran-senpai!"

It was then that Kaname noticed the line of girls under the gate with his name on it. "Oh." He took the chocolate from the girl. "Thank you very much..."

One by one, the girls stepped up, handing Kaname their chocolates. Eventually, his hangs became full and he sent them an apologetic look. "Ah. Sorry everyone... I can't hold any more than this."

The girls bowed, "Oh! That's fine!" One of them said.

"We're sorry to trouble you!"

"Still... I am very sorry." Kaname muttered.

Meanwhile, Yuuki held her arms outstretched, keeping a few Day Class girls from running up to the Night Class as they passed.

"Thank you for everything, Yuuki." Kaname said softly.

Yuuki jumped and looked over her shoulder. "S-Sure!"

"And please don't get hurt."

"I-I won't!" Yuuki replied, ignoring the stares she got from the students she was holding back.

She watched as Kaname walked away, disappointment welling in her chest. She had lost the chance to give Kaname the chocolates Zero helped her make... But it was at that moment, the students decided to push forward and send Yuuki stumbling forward.

"Kain!" One of the girls screeched.

"Wah!" Yuuki fell face first to the ground, her chocolate falling out of her pocket in the process.

Seeing this, glossy amethyst eyes seemed brighter. Zero approached the box of chocolate innocently sitting on the ground and picked it up. With a hum, he twirled it in his hands and called out to the person it was meant to be given to.

"Kaname!"

Hearing his name, the vampire turned around and watched as the elder twin walked to him with a slight skip in his step. With a cryptic smile, he placed the box neatly on top of the boxes Kaname was carrying.

"You've dropped this."

Yuuki looked up curiously before recognizing the box Zero had given him. She gasped and frantically searched her pockets only to find the box missing.

"When did... Zero!" She gaped at the elder Kiryuu. When had Zero picked up the chocolates? And why did he personally deliver them to Kaname?!

"I accept..." He looked back at Yuuki, "Thank you, Yuuki."

Yuuki blushed, "S-Sure!"

Zero waved at the vampire as he walked away and went back to his place at Ichiru's and Yuuki's side.

"Z-Zero! Why did you just give Kaname my chocolates...?"

He only kept that cryptic smile on his face, "Wouldn't you like it if he ate it? Besides, you were going to not give it to him in the first place."

Ichiru nearly bristled. "But why did you personally hand the box to him?"

"Ah? _That?_ Don't worry about it."

"That makes me even _more_ worried, Aniki."

Yuuki huffed, "Kaname probably wouldn't want it anyways... He belongs with the Night Class." She looked down, "I can only catch a glimpse of what it's like; the world he lives in, the things he sees... It's all so different from mine..."

_Kaname had saved me but it probably means nothing to him... _Yuuki thought, closing her eyes.

...

Meanwhile, Kaname walked side by side with another Night Class student with the chocolates in his hands.

"Kaname-sama, you don't have to bother carrying these. I can take them for you." She offered.

Kaname dropped the boxes of chocolate in the girl's hands except for one, gently pressing the box against his lips as he continued walking. "You can get rid of the rest." He told her, "This is the only one I want..."

Purposely, Kaname ignored the one in his pocket, saving that one for when he was in private. Zero Kiryuu was such a mystery, handing him a box of chocolates both directly and indirectly. He couldn't help but wonder, what was the reasoning for Zero's share of chocolates?

...

The rest of the Day Class were still giving their chocolates to the remaining Night Class students.

Aidou placed a hand over one girl's shoulder, running his other hand through his hair as she blushed.

"What's your blood type?" He asked with a charming smile.

The girl shyly replied. "Huh? I'm O..."

Yuuki blew her whistle, holding out a red card. "Idol-" She quickly corrected herself, "I mean, _Aidou!_ What do you think you're doing?! That's not allowed!"

While Yuuki was distracted, Ichiru grimaced and began walking away from the scene, rubbing his throat. Noticing this, Zero narrowed his eyes who had lost its gloss and followed closely behind.

"Got it?! All that you can take are chocolate and feelings! Nothing else!" Yuuki reprimanded.

She whipped around, "Hey! Ichiru, Zero, what are you...?" Yuuki trailed off as she noticed the twins were missing. "Ichiru? Zero?"

...

Ichiru felt it taking its toll on him.

He leaned against the wall, taking heavy breaths, his legs nearly giving out underneath him. Fingernails scratched the walls as he felt two presences nearby. One belonged to his brother but the other was a new and unknown presence.

"Whoever you are, come out. I know you're there."

The girl jumped, not expecting him to call her out or notice her at all. She fidgeted. "Ah, um..."

She moved from behind the wall, "K-Kiryuu-san... I-I want to thank you for saving me this morning and since today, you're supposed to thank people with chocolates, I... I made this myself.

Ichiru looked at her with dazed eyes, "Go away..."

The girl was startled again, "Huh? B-But I..."

He could feel his control starting to slip, "I-It's fine... Just... Just go..."

Before the girl could continue to protest, a hand on her shoulder caught her attention. She looked behind her and up into the amethyst eyes of Zero, who gave her a small smile, that very same smile always filled with mystery.

"I'll give it to him." He said gently, taking the chocolate from her. "You can go now."

She nodded, "O-Okay..." She went around the corner and towards the dorm, taking one last look behind her.

Zero was looking at her, making sure she was on her way. For some reason, that smile seemed wider as if he had been expecting her to look back. She shook her head and went on her way, maybe she was paranoid?

Right after that, however, the smile fell once Zero turned to lay his eyes on his brother.

[ Time Skip; Night Time ]

**The veil of night is falling. Their time is approaching... **

Kaien Cross gazed out of the window. "Vampires can be identified by their craving for human blood, their longevity and their nocturnal behavior. It's a generalization but most vampires are also unusually beautiful. They're extremely proud. They have superior mental and physical abilities."

He placed his hand on the cold window pane. "Hm... Seems like the students from the Day Class are still causing a fuss. The Night Class' lessons will have to start late tonight..."

The Chairman turns to the boy leaning against the wall. "Well then, Ichiru..."

Kaien moved himself from the window and towards the table where the pitcher sat. "You can fight and ignore it all you want, but it won't change anything... Why do you keep doing this to yourself?"

Ichiru gripped his arms, "Shut it..." Shivers raked his body as he tightened his grip even more.

Zero watched the scene, unmoving from his current position, eyes suddenly hard and lacking of luster. The Chairman did have a point. He should stop doing this to himself, but the boy can be unbelievably stubborn like he could and that was one thing he disliked about his brother.

Kaien walked over to Ichiru with a glass in his hand, handing it to the boy. "Drink this, it'll stop the pain."

Ichiru took one glance at the glass, immediately recognizing its contents and his hand moved in a blur. The glass fell to the floor in pieces at the rough contact, liquid splashing everywhere on the wooden flooring.

"You know I won't drink it." Ichiru glared up at Kaien who only looked at the pieces of shattered glass.

"Those fits are occurring more frequently now, continuing this behavior of yours will only worse the pain... Why don't you understand that? Even though you've endured this so far, you wouldn't be able to for much longer..."

Ichiru avoided both Kaien and Zero's gazes.

"But..." Zero's solemn voice caught Ichiru's attention. "You know that, don't you, Ichiru?"

Ichiru said nothing.

...

Yuuki dragged herself to the Chairman's bathroom.

"I can't believe that Ichiru and Zero abandoned me like that!" She whined as the bathroom door opened. "What the hell were they doing?"

She then noticed the other occupant about to leave. "Ah."

At least she found one of the mentioned missing. Ichiru was ready to leave the bathroom but seemed depressed as if something was truly bothering him. Yuuki frowned, that was odd... Ichiru usually never seemed bothered by anything and to see him in such a state was worrying.

"What's wrong?" She asked, tilting her head.

Ichiru said nothing, only looking down on the floor. Yuuki huffed, was this really the time for him to be giving her the silent treatment now? Instead of scolding him like she would've done, she dug into her pocket and pulled out a wrapped circular object. She unwrapped it, revealing the singular chocolate ball.

"Here!" Yuuki gently pressed the chocolate to Ichiru's lips. "For you, a chocolate."

The boy opened his mouth just enough to allow the chocolate to slip in.

"But you aren't allowed to say it's as bad as it was when I was in primary, okay?" Came the playful jest. "It's the only one I made that turned out right, so it's super special! I bet you're really grateful, huh?"

Ichiru made a face.

Yuuki scowled, "Why are you making such a face?"

The Kiryuu twin only shook his head and left the bathroom. Yuuki sighed and walked in the bathroom, noticing something small and circular on the floor. She bent down and picked it up and after a little of observing, she realized what it was.

_BL-XXV063, one of the vampire's blood tablets? What's it doing here?_

**It was the first Valentine's Day that Yuuki had ever given any boy chocolate.**

...

"By the way... The perfect, Ichiru Kiryuu, was looking really pale today." Ichijo Takuma said to Kaname.

Kaname only rubbed his index finger along the rim of the glass in front of him. "It was bound to happen..." He muttered, dropping a blood tablet into the water. The tablet began dissolving upon contact, turning the once clear water into a pure blood red color.

"What? Do you know something about it?"

Wine-red eyes only stared at the water-turned-blood. "Let's just say that an incident that took place four years prior... _Changed his life completely_."

** _Yuuki wouldn't find out Ichiru's secret until the very next day. _ **

_Chapter 4: END_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 4.5   
The pureblood vampire had wondered why Zero Kiryuu had bothered to give him chocolate. 
> 
> Always an enigma, aren't you Zero? Kaname thought, staring at the red box. 
> 
> The box was simple and average sized, a dark crimson color that had a bright vermillion ribbon tied on it. Burgundy wrapping paper peeked out of the edges, making Kaname very curious on what type of chocolate had the elder Kiryuu twin had prepared. Elegant fingers reached for the bow and pulled, letting it fall on his lap. Opening the box, Kaname was pleasantly surprised. 
> 
> It wasn't just a cliché heart-shaped chocolate- instead, it was that of a butterfly, delicately made and decorated. It was made of white-chocolate but its wings and body were lined with what appeared to be just regular chocolate. Kaname gently traced the outline of the wings, wondering how long this would've taken. 
> 
> Gingerly, he took a bite, finding it satisfying once the chocolate melted in his mouth upon the first few seconds of being devoured. It isn't until he spots a flash of white at the bottom of the box, does he figure out the reason for the chocolate. 
> 
> So that's why...
> 
> \---
> 
> Hm. Until next update.


	7. Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things were changing and it was changing fast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello readers, my old friends... I've got an update for you again. 
> 
> I am honestly surprised at by how people have read this and truly liked this. My description wasn't exactly eye-catching but the surprise is a pleasant and welcomed one. No comments yet but I shall prevail! Things move faster and this is where our story begins to unfold. 
> 
> Do enjoy.

"It's painful, isn't it? Are you scared?"

A young Zero stared up at the vampire in front of him. He tilted his head and cradled his bleeding brother closer to his chest. He wasn't scared of the creature like Ichiru was, he didn't have a reason to be scared... After all, it wasn't him who was suffering.

"Should I be?" Came the cheeky reply.

The woman chuckled, "Your parents hunted down every one of my beloved brethren... This is simply my revenge." She took a handkerchief from her kimono sleeve and wiped her mouth.

"Since the members of the Kiryuu clan are infamous vampire hunters..." Her fangs peeked from her mouth, "This is my privilege as a _Pureblood_."

**It was a cold winter four years ago when the Chairman brought back Ichiru and Zero to their home. **

"Yuuki," came the gentle voice of Kaien Cross. "These boys' parents were killed by a vampire... It's a miracle that they had managed to survive, so please look after them while they're staying with us, okay?"

Yuuki watched the two contradicting boys- one was glaring down at the floor with a hatred so strong that it had surprised the young brunette. The other, however, sent shivers down her spine. While they were both drenched in blood, the other twin had much more blood on him than the other. But that wasn't what scared her so strongly- the boy was _calm_, smiling as if he was stuck in a day-dream. It was so serene and his eyes were aware, making his eyes seem darker in color than it was. He seemed to be the opposite of the raging emotions in the silent twin.

He scared her more so than the other.

But they were close together, the calm one gently holding the other as if feeling like they were going to die if separated. Yuuki couldn't help but feel awkward about the whole thing.

"They're still covered in blood, so give them a bath first. I have to go talk to the police." Ah, there went the Chairman.

"Um... Let's go run you two a bath."

The calm twin gently tugged the silent one forward, beckoning him to follow. Yuuki could only watch, uncertain of what she should do or could do for the bloodied twins. But the reassuring smile sent to her by the calm one said otherwise. He seemed to have it under control so all she had to do was lead them.

Once in the bathroom, Yuuki prepared the bath.

"The bathtub is already filled with water, so take as much time as you want..."

She watched the calm twin shrug off the coat of his other and himself. Yuuki gasped once she saw the blood on both of them, and while the silent one was covered in it, the calm one practically bathed in it. The ends of his hair dripped with droplets of blood and his hands were all stained red.

The calm twin hummed a song, tilting his head side to side to his melody as he began to clean his brother. It made the mood less tense than it was before but it was still a tense mood, nonetheless.

_So much blood..._ Came Yuuki's thought. _Is this all from one single twin? And that wound... _

**Even though they had stayed silent, Yuuki couldn't help but wonder what had happened to the twins that night. And she had also wondered why she had been so wary with them... **

** _They should be the ones scared. _ **

...

"Yuuki, wake up."

The petite brunette fluttered her eyes open upon hearing her name. She pushed herself up off of the desk and rubbed her eyes sleepily.

"Hm? What's up?" She asked groggily.

"Me and Aniki are going now to do our perfect duties. Once your extra classes are over, hurry and join us."

Yuuki deadpanned. "You make it sound so incredibly appealing..."

At that moment, Yuuki took notice of Ichiru's pale complexion. _Today, he looks almost as pale as he had that night I met him and Zero... _

As the twins walked, Zero immediately took notice of a difference in the hall. Two Night Class students were walking about during the day, one of them happening to be the leader of them all- Kaname Kuran. Once two Day Class students saw the pair nearby, they squealed and began whispering to each other.

"I never thought I'd see Kuran-senpai from the Night Class in the school building..." One girl gasped.

"It's not even time for class changes yet!" Added another.

Zero felt Ichiru shift closer to him, waves of wariness coming from the younger twin as the pureblood and his companion came to a stop in front of them.

"I didn't expect to meet you here, Kiryuu twins." Kaname smiled, "Yuuki isn't with you today?"

"She has extra classes, today... Kuran-senpai." Ichiru said through gritted teeth.

Kaname merely nodded and passed by the twins before looking over his shoulder at Ichiru. "By the way... How are you feeling, Ichiru?"

This got a reaction out of the younger twin as he whipped around with wide eyes, wondering how the hell did the pureblood know about that. Zero grasped Ichiru's wrist, pulling him backward before he did anything rash. He's told Ichiru this many times before, it would do them no good to interrupt fate's plans.

"Take care now... Oh and Zero?"

Said boy perked up at the mention of his name. Zero's eyes were wide and a bit less glossy, giving Zero a dazed doe-eyed look. He saw a sly smile settle on the vampire's lips before teasingly saying, "That chocolate was quite delicious."

It was quite pleasant to see the usually smiley perfect go slack-jawed and eyes narrowed into a glare, an adorable blush settling across the bridge of his nose and cheeks. Kaname walked away smugly, feeling some sort of victory at being the first person to get such a reaction out of the perfect.

_Son of a...!_ Zero cursed in every language he knew, noting how the vampire walked smugly.

"Aniki..." Ichiru began in a threatening tone.

Zero gulped. "I-I don't know what he's- _Ack!_" He took a step backwards, his clumsiness setting in as he began to fall.

Ichiru gripped Zero by his arm, helping him stabilize himself.

"You've got some explaining to do." Ichiru narrowed his eyes.

Remind Zero as to why did he give that damned vampire some chocolates, again?

...

The door to his office opened and in walked Kaname Kuran.

"Hello, Kaname." Kaien greeted. "I had a feeling you'd come around sometime today."

"Chairman Cross," the pureblood began. "How long do you plan on allowing Ichiru Kiryuu to stay in the Day Class."

Kaien only stared solemnly at Kaname.

"It isn't long before he undergoes the change..."

...

Ichiru stood under the moonlight with a hand over his face.

It was getting worse, which was what he hadn't needed. He felt parched, wanting nothing more than to quench this thirst that had been torturing him for so long... Ichiru was so lost in thought, that he was only able to snap out of it at the sound of multiple footsteps.

_SHING_

The perfect pointed his sword to his left where Ruka Souen, one of the Night Class students, stood. "What do you want..." Lilac eyes narrowed, avoiding the gaze of all the students surrounding him. "Night Class?"

Ruka scowled, ignoring the blade poking into her skin. "Why is Kaname-sama so interested in him and his twin? I can't stand it."

Akatsuki stood behind the angry blonde, "There's nothing to be getting jealous about, Ruka." He stated calmly, "The same goes for the rest of you. If Kaname finds out about this, he'll be furious."

Then, Akatsuki made the mistake of touching Ichiru. The perfect in question wasn't having it tonight and this growing pain within had made him very irritable.

"Kiryuu, you should put that away too. Okay...?"

**SLAM! **

The orange-haired vampire suddenly found his world spin and stared up into the night sky as another student, Rima Toya, deadpanned at the fallen vampire below her. "That was so _uncool_." She said bluntly.

Akatsuki scowled as he lifted himself up. "Shut up..."

Ichiru sighed, "So Kuran-senpai is the reason why I'm suddenly being ganged up, huh? So you can take me down?"

He gave a predatory smile, "I'd like to see you all try."

But at that moment...

"_**STOP RIGHT THERE!**_"

Yuuki leapt into the air using her rod as she landed perfectly on her feet and right next to Ichiru. The girl attempted to give a stern look but wasn't exactly intimidating.

"No fighting _whatsoever!_" The brunette said, "Didn't you read that in the student handbook?"

She stood straight and pulled the armband up on her arm. "Regardless of whether it's Ichiru or any student from the Night Class who's trying to pick a fight... As a perfect, I simply will **not** allow it!"

Akatsuki stared down at Ruka as she glared up at him. "Look... Can't we just drop this already?"

Ruka sighed, "Fine, it's not worth it anyways..."

With that being said, the Night Class began to retreat.

Once they were all gone, Yuuki sighed. "What's going on?"

She glanced up at Ichiru with a sheepish look, "Whatever it is, you can talk to me about it. I don't understand why but lately... You haven't been acting like yourself-"

Yuuki nearly gasped once she saw Ichiru's pained expression. "Ichiru...?" She reached out to grab his arm only to have him jerk his arm away before she could make contact.

"I'm fine," he rasped before leaving her behind.

Yuuki can only stare with worry written all over her face.

...

"I knew I wouldn't be able to fool you... You were always extraordinary." The Chairman sighed, pushing up his glasses.

"Being able to trace a lineage back through ancestors entirely untainted by human blood... Even amongst vampires, that's something extremely rare." Kaien gestured a hand to Kaname, "To have inherited the powers and abilities of the vampire ancients. Created fear even by other vampires. The vampires within vampires; the _Purebloods_."

Kaien looked down with a slight smile. "It has been entirely due to your support that the wilder members of the Night Class have behaved themselves until now."

Kaname walked closer to the poorly repaired desk, palms facing down on the wooden surface. "Chairman Cross, I've endured this situation thus far only due to my deep respect for you. But now, for the sake of normal students, Ichiru must be controlled.

He glowered down at the Chairman. "Do you seriously intend to allow Ichiru to destroy everything that has been worked for up until now?"

The man avoided Kaname's gaze. "The Kiryuu twin's parents were killed by a vampire. It's a miracle that they were saved from that sea of blood. There has to be another way..." Kaien looked Kaname straight in the eyes.

"But the one who's killed their family wasn't an ordinary vampire. She was a pureblood just like _me_."

...

_Ba-thump_

Ichiru leaned against the wall, a pained expression painted on his face. It was getting even worse now and god..! God, does he wish he had listened to his brother for once! He could feel his heart pounding throughout his entire body, each beat making his head pound and pant heavily...

** _BA-THUMP_ **

He gasped, clutching his chest in pain.

Unaware of the situation unfolding, Yuuki stood on the balcony. The cool breeze prickling against her skin as her hair blew gently behind her. She couldn't help but think about the much-too-secretive twins who wouldn't let her in their little world. _Ichiru pushed me away again and Zero won't tell me anything... It's always the same._ Yuuki thought solemnly, clenching her fist. _Will this continue on forever...? _With newfound determination, the brunette sprinted off the balcony and down the stairs. Even though I've always been the one closest to them, they still don't trust me...

"Ichiru! Zero!" Yuuki cried out.

She heard Ichiru's voice, "I thought... I told you to stay away..."

Before she can even process what Ichiru meant by those words, a hand reached out to grab her but another grabbed her arm and tugged her backward rather roughly. Yuuki fell on the stairs with a loud thud as a blur of silver passed by in the corner of her eyes, the figure was then grabbed by Ichiru and pulled close.

Yuuki shook her head to clear her vision after all, she had fallen rather harshly. She pushed herself up and spotted the twins in front of her- Ichiru holding Zero in a seemingly intimate embrace from behind. The elder twin just smiled, eyes lacking its usual gloss and was instead aware of what was going on.

"You shouldn't look, Hime." Came Zero's gentle voice.

The brunette was taken aback, "W-Wha-"

Ichiru tilted Zero's head to the side, loosening Zero's tie and moving the shirt's collar to reveal more of Zero's neck. He nuzzled his nose against the soft surface, his tongue trailing a long lick against the milky expanse of flesh presented in front of him. Yuuki had never seen the younger do anything like that before. However, she could tell there was something wrong about everything happening.

"Z-Zero, what is-"

Yuuki froze with fear, her voice caught in her throat when Ichiru opened his mouth wide to reveal sharp fangs. It was only a glimpse but she saw them glint in the moonlight before Zero's smile faded as he let out a whimper, the sound of skin being pierced echoed and squelched disgustingly through the empty staircase.

She trembled with wide eyes as blood began to flow down Zero's neck.

"Eh...?"

It was silent with the exception of Ichiru's slurping and sucking of the blood from his brother and Zero's pained gasps.

_W-What is going on?!_ Yuuki thought, fear coursing through her body.

Zero finally found the strength to reach up and grip Ichiru's hair, "I-Ichiru... S-Stop... Too... Much..."

Suddenly, Yuuki realized who pulled her back when she first found Ichiru and why. Was he going to bite her if... _If Zero hadn't been there?_ The thought on its own was just terrifying.

Zero was finally able to shove Ichiru off, stumbling forward and falling to the floor on his knees. Ichiru had stumbled backward but regained his balance, panting as if he had just ran a marathon. Yuuki felt her heart pounding as the air was thick with tension and silence wasn't the only thing driving Yuuki insane.

**Eyes a blood red color shimmering in the dark... **

"I-Ichiru? Zero? What... Why?" Yuuki stared trembling.

The younger twin merely licked his lips, tongue gently grazing and removing the blood that coated it.

**Long fangs peeking from his upper lip obscenely.**

"A-Aniki..." Panted Ichiru, looking down at the elder solemnly.

Zero said nothing and opted to stare at his hand that once laid on his neck; alabaster skin stained crimson with the blood that still continued to flow through his open wound. His breath came out in slight cloudy pants and his vision was beginning to double. Amethyst eyes now duller and darker in color as they laid on Ichiru's figure.

**A beast in the form of a man... That's what he really is. **

...

"_Humans who are bitten by a pureblood **become** vampires themselves!_"

Kaien closed his eyes, not wanting to look at the pureblood in front of him. "I know that, Kaname... I know that Ichiru wasn't bitten by a normal vampire."

Kaname stared down at the desk, "Once a pureblood bites a human, there are only two possible outcomes... If luck is on their side, the toxic blood is enough to kill them. If they aren't... They'll have to endure the agonizingly slow transformation until they turn into a vampire themselves... A torture so cruel that not even other vampires can imagine.

"And although Ichiru will never be human like he once was before, suppressing his instincts for four years takes more strength that I will ever be able to comprehend..."

...

"Ichiru is..."

The boy in question jerked his head to the side, not wanting to see Yuuki's shocked reaction nor his brother's dazed face. Why... Why did it have to be this way? He clenched his fist tightly, ignoring the sticky liquid around his mouth and neck.

"Aniki... I'm sorry..." He muttered, avoiding Yuuki's terrified gaze.

"_Ichiru is... A vampire...?_" 

_Chapter 5: END _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter done. Did you like it? Were you surprised by anything? 
> 
> … No? Well, that is disappointing. If yes, then I am glad my writing skills haven't bored you yet. Might post another fanfiction but who knows when that or this one will finish. 
> 
> Until next update...


	8. His Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As one of the hunters, he was supposed to be like any other. Instead, he became the one thing he was trained to hunt. 
> 
> And he despised it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An update.  
Upon seeing comments on my work, I was sorely tempted to break pattern and update yesterday. However, I refrained myself and decided to wait until today to express my happiness at three measly comments. Seeing the comments made me smile, gasp and silently screech happily simultaneously.  
So yes, comments receive a very happy and motivated author. Other than that... 
> 
> Do enjoy.

_"Ichiru... Is a vampire...?" _

That was all Yuuki was able to process and she was unsure of what to think about the situation presented in front of her. The discovery of Ichiru being a vampire - the one thing he had despised with a passion - was enough to shock her. But the fact that she had discovered this through the biting of the elder Kiryuu twin had instilled such an uncertainty that Yuuki was just a sitting duck at this moment. If she was being honest, her mind could only draw blanks with the newfound discovery.

_**Vampire**_, _Ichiru's a_ _vampire_. 

Chocolate eyes hesitantly tore its gaze from the bloodstained Ichiru and towards the elder twin. When Yuuki saw Zero's figure right next to her and by the staircase railing, she inhaled sharply as she surely wasn't ready for a much more haunting image than that of Ichiru covered in blood with glistening blood eyes. 

Long gone was the glossy amethyst eyes and instead replaced the dark and much more aware sangria ones. They were out of focus, matching the pained expression. Silver hair was dyed blood red from the tips, one shaking hand clutching onto the open wound from the neck. Zero looked disheveled, his other hand gripping the railing to the point of breaking it. 

Zero gritted his teeth, letting out breathy pants. This expression... This overall Zero presented in front of her was all _wrong_. Those same eyes made contact with hers and she flinched. It was as if there was something scary about those suddenly aware eyes.

Was the pain Zero experiencing so excruciating? Would his current appearance be the very one she would've had if she was in his place? Yuuki banished the thought, it was terrifying seeing the result but imagining it was a whole other story.

Then, the thought came to her. Did Zero know about this? _Of course, Zero would know._ _He's Ichiru's twin brother, so why wouldn't he know? _

Ichiru flinched when Zero turned his gaze back to him, gripping the sleeves of his uniform and taking a hesitant step back. Everything seemed like fragile glass- one wrong move and everything could go to hell. 

_Just... Just what was going on...?_

...

Kaname froze, the saccharine scent wafting in the air and taking over his senses for just a few seconds. 

Seeing the sudden change, Kaien looked at the pureblood wearily. "Kaname? Is there something wrong...?" 

The brunet only looked at the door, wine red eyes glinting with just the slightest of vermillion. He inhaled the scent once more, the beast inside wanting nothing more than to find the source and greedily drink the lovely liquid of life. He recognized the scent, knowing full well what had just occurred during the moments he was talking with the chairman. Gathering his calm, he pushed aside his instincts to formulate a sentence. 

"I... I can smell blood." 

"Kaname!" Kaien called out, only to be ignored. 

All Kaname had on his mind was the source of the hypnotizing aroma. 

...

"Aniki... Yuuki... I'm..." 

Why... Yuuki stared at Ichiru's slightly trembling form. Why was he apologizing to her? If anything, all the apologies should be going to Zero! He was the one suffering from the fate that would've been hers if he hadn't been there. Speaking of which, how did Zero know about the events to come? Ah, everything was just so confusing. 

Her head was spinning, she wanted to know. Even as she laid on the steps which she had been thrown on haphazardly, she couldn't help but feel as if she was forgetting something very important... 

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

The sound of shoes tapping against wooding flooring echoed in the empty halls, another presence approaching the scene. Zero made no movement but knew who had arrived. _Guess he has taken my warning seriously?_ Thought Zero with slight amusement. He was beginning to see blurs and his eyelids were wanting nothing more than to close and welcome rest. Ah, there goes the faint feeling. He wonders if he feels insane for finding some sort of twisted humor in all this. 

"... Zero?" 

At the sound of his name, Zero sluggishly glanced up the railing and spotting the brunet pureblood at the top of the stairs. "Y-You're a b-bit late, Kaname..." 

Kaname narrowed his eyes as a bloodied Ichiru took a step back away from the two victims in front of him. While Kaname was glad it wasn't Yuuki who was bitten, he still displayed worry for the elder Kiryuu... After all, if it wasn't for the fact that he was yet another pawn in his game and that said Kiryuu was the one who had left a letter of notice in the box of homemade chocolate, he wouldn't even had bothered. 

"So... You've finally succumbed to the bloodlust of beasts, Ichiru Kiryuu." 

Ichiru flinched but said nothing and continued to tremble in his spot. 

Yuuki stared as Kaname walked down the stairs and stood protectively in front of herself, and indirectly Zero as well. Right there, a memory flashed before her widened eyes- the one in which Kaname took that same stance and removed the presence of that vampire who attacked her. 

_ **"You're a disgrace to all vampires," he said, flicking off the blood of the deceased vampire who had tried to attack her. ** _

_Kaname will kill Ichiru! _

Zero had taken notice of Yuuki's change from fear-stricken to panic and decided to shakily stand up. Zero moved from behind Kaname's tall figure and instead stood in between the pureblood and his twin. With a shaky smile and a slight gloss in those slowly returning amethyst eyes, he staggered. 

"I-It wouldn't be w-wise to r-rid of the Knight j-just yet, K-King..." 

The blood loss sent another wave of dizziness as the elder twin swayed, falling backwards where Ichiru bolted forward and captured Zero. Ichiru held his twin stiffly, feeling a pang of guilt at the heavy reality setting in. The sight of silver strands stained with blood just clenched at his heart. 

"Zero...?" 

Yuuki only watched as Kaname gently took the elder twin in his arms, holding him bridal style and close to his chest. Ichiru didn't even retort or send an icy glare his way as Kaname stared him down with contempt. 

"To have drained your own sibling to the point where he can't even stand..." Burgundy eyes glared. "Your thirst must've been insatiable." 

Then, as if mocking him, Kaname added. "Zero's blood... _Was it delicious?_" 

It hit Ichiru like a ton of bricks. He had just... He just drank so viciously from someone, even worse his very own twin brother, and had enjoyed it! The guilt grew in his chest, the bile stuck in his throat becoming more prominent and bitter. He had done that to his brother and thought nothing bad of it in those moments. 

"Don't... Don't g-guilt trip him..." Muttered Zero, leaning his head against Kaname's broad shoulder. "Bring... Yuuki..." 

Kaname had walked away at that, snapping Yuuki out of her daze. Shakily, she stood up and followed behind the pureblood who passed by the Chairman analyzing Ichiru in careful silence. Not a single exchange occurred between the two as Kaname made his way to the infirmary with Zero in his arms and Yuuki at his side. 

... 

"Hn..." 

Zero's sound of discomfort went ignored as gentle fingers went to trail feather touches against the wounds on his neck. Kaname's eyes traced over the reddened holes, noting the stark contrast it had against the pale complexion of the perfect in front of him. 

"It seems the blood has almost stopped but the wound is deep... He bit you quite viciously, Zero." 

The elder twin said nothing but instead paid mind to the girl behind them, who was observing the pureblood and himself with silver streams curling down her face. Zero frowned, the scene of Ichiru biting him seemed to have unknowingly brought up some traumatizing memories for her. Seeing Zero's attention on somewhere else, Kaname pulled away and turned his attention to the crying brunette girl. 

"Yuuki... Are you alright?" 

Yuuki blinked, now feeling the stinging and trails of tears from her eyes. "Eh...?" 

"Are you afraid of vampires now?" Kaname tried. 

The stubborn girl shook her head. No... She wasn't scared. Everything was spinning about, so much that she wasn't able to process any further thoughts any longer. But one thing was for certain, Ichiru had attacked Zero. A knock on the door interrupted the moment. 

There stood Kaien Cross as he gazed on the scene solemnly. "Kaname, could you go back to class for awhile? The Night Class is beginning to get restless with the scent of blood around." 

Taking one last look at Yuuki and Zero, Kaname made his way towards the door. "Alright." 

Kaien approached Zero with a band-aid in his hands, peeling away the paper behind it. 

"I took Ichiru back to his dorm. He's calmed down a bit." He said, placing the band-aid over Zero's puncture wounds. 

He turned to Yuuki, "We've been hiding it for so long from you... You have a right to be shocked, especially in this situation. I'm sorry, Hime." 

At this, Yuuki wiped away her tears. "How could I have known that Ichiru was a vampire? For the last four years..."

Kaien stared down at Yuuki. "I know because Ichiru was once human... Human until four years ago." 

Yuuki took a step back in surprise. Until four years ago? What had happened then? 

This time, it was Zero spoke up. "Four years ago, our family was attacked by vampires. And while I sustained no injuries, Ichiru... He had signs of a deep bite mark on his neck." 

She gasped, "Then... Ichiru used to be human but now, he's a vampire? Because he was bitten?" 

"Yuuki, you don't believe in the legend that humans bitten by vampires can turn into one themselves, do you?" Asked Kaien, grazing his finger against Zero's band-aid. "It's true. Vampires that can turn humans into their own kind... A few of them exist; pureblood vampires." 

In an attempt to calm her down, Zero smiled and added playfully. "But don't worry, Ichiru isn't one of the purebloods so I won't turn into a vampire."

But that only made Yuuki feel worse. She didn't know anything... Yet, Ichiru had been suffering for so long and could've only confided in his own twin brother. All because she had decided to stick her nose where it hadn't belonged, this had happened.

Just what had they gone through?

... 

"Looks like the Kiryuu twins aren't here today."

The whisper from Yori snapped Yuuki out of her daze. Yuuki glanced at Yori with a curious look before recalling her friend's statement. Her mood immediately dropped and so did her gaze to her notebook. 

"Yeah..." Yuuki sighed. "Ichiru's been sick since last night and Zero's been taking care of him." 

"Oh." 

In actuality, Yuuki hadn't seen either twin since that night... When she finally learned something about the Kiryuu twins, it only lead to more questions. Yuuki now knows the source of Ichiru's hatred for vampires but then, there were just so many gaps in the story. Both of them were attacked, so wouldn't Zero also hold a deep hatred for vampires? Even if Zero hadn't suffered Ichiru's fate, there should be some animosity... Argh! It was just so confusing! 

_No wonder Ichiru hates them so much... _Yuuki gave out another sigh. _He'd kill them all if he had the chance... _

Her eyes widened with a sudden realization that had her bolting from her seat.

_He'd kill them all, including himself. _

... 

"Are you sure about this, Ichiru?"

Zero watched as his younger brother took the last article of clothing from the closet and threw it on the bed next to the packed bag. Amethyst eyes watched the piece of paper sway gently to the ground and land right next to Ichiru's foot. By the way Ichiru looked at it, he figured it might've been that photo where all three of them began to attend classes at Cross Academy. 

The younger twin said nothing but turned around and began walking towards Zero. 

Something silver glinted right near Zero's hand on the bed- Ichiru had his eyes set on the gun made to exterminate vampire kind. In a blur, Ichiru snatched both the gun and Zero's hand, fixing his brother's hand and placing his finger on the trigger before pointing it at himself. 

The elder twin merely smiled. 

Ichiru blinked as he found himself on his back against the mattress, Zero straddling his hips with Bloody Rose pointed right at his forehead. Zero clicked the safety off, seeming to comply to his brother's wishes... 

A gasp came from the doorway and before Zero knew it, he was being pushed down on top of his brother, Bloody Rose snatched out of his hands. 

"What the hell are you two doing?!" Yuuki's shocked voice echoed. 

"Nothing." Ichiru replied. 

Zero, however, was sandwiched between the two and couldn't really reply at the moment. Oh, how wonderful this situation was.

"The gun's safety catch was off, how is that nothing?" 

"I'd appreciate it if you'll get off of me." Zero muttered into Ichiru's shoulder, pretty sure that his sentence was muffled. 

Yuuki squeaked, realizing their position and scrambled off of Zero and Ichiru. "I'm sorry...!" 

Zero sat up, still straddling Ichiru while the younger twin talked. 

"You heard it Yuuki. The sound I made when I sucked Aniki's blood." Ichiru reached up to Zero's neck, moving the long hair to reveal the band-aid that covered puncture wounds. Zero didn't even flinch when the band-aid was ripped off rather roughly. "And while that sound continuously runs through my ears, neither you nor Aniki will be safe with me around." 

He gently caressed the area around the wound before he threw Zero off of him, the elder pouting at the sudden action. Zero was quite comfortable on his brother's lap, _thank you very much_. 

"So be careful." Ichiru said, walking out of the room with the bag slung over his shoulder. 

Yuuki watched, noticing the photo on the bed. Taking it into her hands, she recalled the memory that was captured in the photo. 

'_C'mon, Ichiru! Smile! Zero's smiling too!_'

'_What if I don't want to smile, Yuuki?_'

'_Smile or Aniki's going to be angry._' 

'_... Even Zero agrees!_' 

"That's right, I..." Yuuki mumbled before standing up and racing out of the room with Bloody Rose in her hands.

_I've always been with you... Ichiru! _

Zero stared at the doorway, fingers leaving feathery touches in its wake as he trailed against his puncture wounds. Fate surely was cruel to him, eh? Even now... Amethyst eyes darkened, melancholy flashing for a split second. He stood up, leaving the room. He had to catch up to the pair and get his gun that has been conveniently taken twice. 

Sometimes, he wonders why he even bothers... 

... 

"W-Wait!" 

Yuuki turned on her heel and around the corner to spot the silver-haired boy casually walking away. 

"Where are you going?! Wait- I said stop right there!" She tried again but Ichiru ignored her. She frowned, leaning against the pillar with Bloody Rose in hand. "If you don't I'll... I'll _shoot!_" 

That stopped Ichiru in his tracks.

Yuuki huffed, trying to gain her breath and thoughts together. God, that boy could walk fast! She didn't even notice Ichiru approaching until she spotted a shadow on the ground. Looking up, she stared in Ichiru's lavender eyes with determination. 

"I... I won't let you leave! Not without saying a word!" Yuuki exclaimed, pointing Bloody Rose at him. 

Ichiru sighed, gently grasping her hands and helping her aim. "You couldn't even help me from biting Aniki..." He leaned forward. "What makes you think I wouldn't do it again? I might really kill someone at this point..." 

Yuuki's eyes widened as Ichiru continued. 

"Shoot me..." He rasped. "You're afraid of me, aren't you?" 

She stood there shocked. Was... Was Ichiru really willing to die?

"Hold the gun steady with both hands and aim right here." The gun's nuzzle rested against his chest, right above Ichiru's heart. "It isn't a crime to kill a vampire." 

Seeing her hesitation, Ichiru sighed once more and began walking away. "With that hesitation... I wonder what will happen when it comes to that point." 

Yuuki lowered her hands and stared at Bloody Rose. _I... I just can't do that! Because now I know just how much pain you're in. _She threw down Bloody Rose and ran forward, embracing Ichiru in a back hug.

"I... I didn't know anything then but... We've been together for four years now so... I'm not afraid of you!" She hugged him tighter. "I'll be there to stop a next time from happening! And if it does happen again, I won't let you! I'll stop you!"

Silence had settled between the two before clapping echoed and startled the pair. Yuuki quickly let go of Ichiru and whipped around to see Zero clapping his hands with a smile. Zero tilted his head, his eyes betraying his true emotions. 

"Now, if you two are done flirting..." His smile turned ominous. "Care to explain why my Bloody Rose has been carelessly thrown to the floor?"

To emphasize this, Zero pointed to Bloody Rose which was a few feet away from the pair. Both knew how much Zero prized his beloved gun and knew the consequences of treating the weapon carelessly. Ichiru turned his gaze to Yuuki who giggled nervously and rubbed the back of her neck. 

"Ehehe... Sorry..."

Inwardly, Yuuki made an unspoken promise. _I'll be Ichiru's guardian... And the only people who know that Ichiru is a vampire is Zero, the Chairman, myself and Kaname..._

... 

Kaname sat in his office, a letter in hand. 

With a small knife, he cut open the letter. In the process, he nicked his finger a trail of blood began to form. Slowly, he lifted his finger to his mouth and licked the blood as a photo fell to the floor. A photo consisting a picture of Zero, Ichiru and Yuuki- all three smiling happily. 

Wine red eyes stared blankly at it... 

_Thwack! _

The knife pierced through Ichiru's image on the photograph. 

_Chapter 6: END_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With another chapter done, I'll be writing one of the newer ones. As of right now, there are a few more prepared chapters so do look forward to that. Please comment, I like seeing them. 
> 
> Until next update...


	9. Normalcy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things seem to return to normal. But everyone knows when you repair something broken, the cracks are still there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A rather late update, I offer my apologies.  
This chapter is... Interesting to say the least. A bit of close touching between our main couple, but nothing concrete just yet. Perhaps this interaction between Kaname and Zero may be satisfactory, I wouldn't count on it. This includes a supposed extra but take it is as you will.
> 
> Do enjoy.

"Are you angry, Ichiru?" 

Yuuki pouted, looking over her shoulder at the aforementioned twin. Ichiru just looked to the side, ignoring her question and gaze. Yuuki merely turned around and continued to walk. 

"Where did you intend to go?" Yuuki muttered more towards herself.

Ichiru sighed. "Let's just settle this..." 

Zero smiled, the two seemed to be on better terms as of the moment. 

"Chairman, we need to talk to you." Yuuki announced before freezing in place, the twins following her actions when they all saw what was in the Chairman's hands.

"Good morning!" The Chairman twirled around with the Night Class uniform in his hands. "You came at the right time. Take a look at this! It's Ichiru's brand new Night Class uniform!" 

Ichiru stared with an icy smile before lunging at the Chairman who squeaked in surprise and fear. Zero tackled Ichiru in time as the Chairman sprinted from his previous spot. Ichiru struggled under his brother, who suddenly had a burst of strength and kept him pinned. Zero whispered calming words, eventually cooling down the frustrated twin. Ichiru clicked his tongue and ceased his struggling to Zero's relief. 

Zero got off of Ichiru and helped his younger brother up. The elder twin held onto Ichiru, in case he tried something again. There was an awkward silence before Ichiru growled, turning to leave. 

"I'm leaving." 

Zero squeaked, holding his ground and kept his grip on his brother. "W-Wait a minute- _Hime!_" 

Yuuki looked at the Chairman with slight irritation. "Chairman, stop provoking him!"

The Chairman merely smiled. "You look very energetic, Ichiru." 

Ichiru only gave him a side glance. 

"Well then... Did you have something to say to me, Yuuki?" 

Yuuki stood straight. "Well... I know that Ichiru isn't the same as before..." _This Ichiru that detests vampires... Detest himself... _"But I don't wish for Ichiru to transfer to the Night Class. Definitely not!" 

Cross' smile dropped, expression turning solemn as a pregnant silence settled. It isn't until Cross sighs at Yuuki's determination does he break the silence. "Hm... Is that so? Not only considering Yuuki's objection, Ichiru is still needed as a guardian." 

Zero's eyebrow twitched. "What am I, chopped liver?" 

Cross became flustered at Zero's declaration. "And of course, you too, Zero!" He cleared his throat, picking up a silver bracelet and holding it out to Yuuki. "Here, Yuuki. Put this bracelet on." 

She gingerly took the bracelet and put it around her wrist. Yuuki observed the symbol on it, getting a sense of familiarity off of it. _Huh? Isn't this symbol...? _

"Ichiru, prick your finger." 

Ichiru blinked. "Pardon?" 

"Just prick it." Cross demanded. "I need your blood."

Ichiru raised an eyebrow but complied. Once that was done, Cross beamed, grasping Yuuki's and Ichiru's arms and pulling them close. He let the blood fall on the symbol of the bracelet, sparking electricity which both startled Ichiru and Yuuki.

"What did...?" 

"This is a secret technique used by vampire hunters to 'tame' vampires. By touching this..." Cross pulled Yuuki's arm closer to Ichiru's tattoo residing on the junction of his neck and shoulder. "To this..." 

Electricity crackled as the bracelet touched Ichiru's tattoo... 

** _Thump_ **

Ichiru blinked as he found himself being pinned to the floor by some unknown force. Zero stooped next to his brother, lightly poking his cheek as the elder twin found that Ichiru couldn't move. Ichiru was confused, what the hell had just happened?

"I-Ichiru?! Are you alright?" Yuuki asked, slightly panicked.

"Calm down, he's only been rendered immobile." Cross reassured. "Yuuki, if Ichiru ever loses control and tries to bite people, your bracelet must touch the tattoo to stop him."

Yuuki stared at the bracelet incredibly. _The same symbol as the one on Ichiru's neck..._ She stared down at Ichiru who stared up blankly at the ceiling. "Can this suppress the Vampirism process?" 

"Yes, even though it can't prevent it completely. It only lets you suppress it. Which is why I didn't bother to tell you of this method earlier..." Cross explained as he turned to Ichiru. "But, your vampire instincts have already awakened, there is no way of turning back." 

The mood turned solemn. Zero stopped poking Ichiru's cheek and settled for lightly caressing his brother's face, catching the younger's attention as Cross continued. 

"To protect yourself and the peace of the students' lives... You mustn't let either the Day or Night class discover anything about this! That is your condition for remaining in the Day Class." Cross turned to Yuuki. "It's alright as long as he does not overly resist, he'll be able to move again. I don't wish to do this but..." 

Ichiru slowly relaxed at the feeling of his brother's unusually cold hands against his warm skin. "It's fine this way..." 

"From now on, there is something I must do." Cross announced before stooping in front of Ichiru and baring his neck with a blush. "If you really need to drink blood... Don't be polite, you're welcome to mine!" 

As if sensing impending doom, Zero fell on top of Ichiru right as the younger twin lunged at the Chairman, the spell having worn itself out. Cross fell backward to the floor in surprise at being lunged at for the second time. Ichiru struggled to push Zero off but a stern look from the elder twin made him do otherwise. 

"Calm down." Zero whispered. 

Ichiru glared. "You act as if that insane Chairman didn't just offer his blood in the most disgusting way possible." He scrunched up his nose. "Now, will you get off of me? You're quite heavy, Aniki."

Zero pouted at the insult but complied, allowing Ichiru to get up. Ichiru stood up, lending a hand out to help his brother up. Zero grasped his hand, letting himself be pulled up... Only to be pulled straight to the door. Ichiru, along his way, snatched Yuuki's wrist and pulled her along as well. 

"Let's go, Aniki, Yuuki." 

Yuuki was confused. "E-Eh?" 

"W-Wait, Ichiru!" Cross called out. "Did you forget something important?" 

Ichiru stopped, looking over his shoulder at Yuuki and Zero. 

"Tell us about it later, 'kay?" Yuuki said with a smile, gently grabbing Zero by the hand and tugging him out of the room. 

Zero gave an assuring smile to Ichiru as they left. "We'll go off first. Don't be late, Ichiru." 

... 

Zero felt his eye twitch as Yuuki pulled him to the Moon Dormitory.

Out of all places he wanted to be, he definitely didn't want to be here. Was it so important to go tell Kaname that Ichiru's secret should be kept as one? He was sure that the pureblood had more common sense than that and wouldn't tell the Night Class unless absolutely necessary. But, this was Yuuki and the girl could be stubborn when he wants to. 

He completely ignored the conversation between Yuuki and the Gate Keeper, allowing her to drag him inside. 

"But this can only be asked of you, the Miracle Genius!" 

"Please, you must help our research organization. Since you are able to write that brilliant thesis!" 

Zero's eye twitched again as Aidou leaned lazily on the couch in front of the nervous men trying to convince him to work for them. 

"But I'm not interested in doing Day Work." The blond vampire drawled. "I'm tired, so shouldn't you go back?" He then gestured to the open door where Yuuki and Zero stood. "The entrance is right there...? Ah. Yuuki-chan!" 

Turquoise eyes moved to Zero. "Oh. And one of the Kiryuu's."

Again... Was he chopped liver? 

"A-Aidou-senpai..." 

It was then Aidou ushered the two men up and out of the door. "Okay! Time for you guys to go!" He grimaced at the sunlight before closing the door. Aidou rubbed his eyes and complained. "It's so bright! I'm so sleepy and it's all because of those guys..."

Yuuki shifted closer to Zero. "W-Well, so sorry to bother you..." 

Zero smiled, "Good morning to you too, Aidou-san."

"Forget it... It's all those guys' fault. Anyways, what are you two doing here? Everyone is sleeping?" Aidou then grinned and wrapped an arm around Yuuki's shoulder. "Did you come here to offer me your sweet blood?" 

"N-No! Of course not!" Yuuki denied. "We're here to see Kaname-senpai!" 

Aidou removed his arm from around Yuuki, allowing the brunette to get some space between them. He began walking towards the stairs with his hands behind his head. 

"I see! Come this way." 

Yuuki was taken aback. "E-Eh? You're showing us the way?"

"Because Kaname-sama is gentle to only you, Yuuki. And for some reason, he has also taken interest in Zero..." Aidou explained, taking a few steps up the staircase. "Which is why everyone is curious..." 

Zero gingerly touched his neck on the side, finding that it was lacking the bandage that was hiding the now-exposed puncture wounds. Huh... When had the vampire done _that_? 

"Whose bite mark is that on Zero?" 

Yuuki gasped, looking at the band-aid hanging limp in Aidou's hands. "How did you..."

Aidou narrowed his eyes, focused on the bite marks on Zero's neck. "Last night, the scent of blood wafted into our classroom out of nowhere, catching everyone by surprise. But I was most certainly curious as it wasn't your blood we were smelling..." 

He smiled mischievously. "It wasn't unusually sweet- it was rather hypnotizing, sensual even. Something that set it on a higher standard than yours, Yuuki." The smile faded as he leaned against the railing. "It was only because of Kaname-sama's words that we calmed ourselves." 

_Even without me coming here to ask him to keep it a secret... _Yuuki smiled gently, deeply moved by Kaname's actions. _He's that sort of person._ "I see." 

Suddenly, Yuuki was being pushed aside as the candles' flame blew out and put the room in some sort of darkness. The crackles of ice echoed through the room as Aidou gripped the railing hard, applying enough pressure to make it creek under his hand. 

"Argh... This is really aggravating." Aidou glared down at Yuuki and Zero. "Why is Kaname-sama so interested in you two?" 

Zero didn't move and kept his smile, eyes lacking that dreamy luster. The ice crept up his right foot and kept him in place. "My... Getting _jealous_ over _pathetic humans_, Aidou-san?" 

Aidou's glare hardened. "Hey. Tell me why."

Yuuki watched as the scene played out before yelling out, "Kaname-senpai saved me from a crazy vampire ten years ago! He's my savior!" 

Zero whipped his head in Yuuki's direction, inwardly cursing at the girl's sudden exclamation. Why, when he had gone so far to even get his foot frozen to save her, does she get in trouble anyways? He truly didn't understand why he even bothered... 

Aidou stepped down, coming closer to Yuuki with a smile. "Then, to repay your savior, you're obliged to offer your blood to him." 

The brunette was taken aback. "Blood?" 

"Yes, your blood now belongs to Kaname-sama..." He leaned forward, gently touching Yuuki's chin. "One day, your neck will be touched by Kaname-sama's lips... And his teeth will slo-wly sink in..." He whispered with a rasp. "Hearing Kaname-sama sucking your own blood- you long for it, don't you?"

Zero twitched, the scenario sounding very carnal in its own sadistic way. And if Yuuki were to blush at it, then you'd know it was carnal on purpose. 

Aidou took a step back before ushering Yuuki toward the stairs. "Yes. You should go to Kaname-sama right now and ask him to drink your blood." 

Yuuki flushed, "W-What are you doing?!" 

The blond simply tilted his head. "Feeling shy, Yuuki-chan?" He put a hand on her arm, ice crackling around it. 

Yuuki felt her arm beginning to go cold and numb. In a desperate attempt, she lifted her free arm with her hand straight. "Aidou-senpai, you are too much!" 

She brought her arm down to strike the blond but her hand never hit its target. A much larger hand gently grasped her wrist and she immediately felt a familiar presence wash over her. _Kaname!_ She breathed in relief. 

"Don't... Yuuki." Echoed Kaname's velvet voice. 

Silence followed for a few seconds before Zero pipped in. "You're late, Kaname." 

Yuuki blinked at Kaname's expression. "Kaname-senpai?" 

"Kaname-sama..." Aidou started. 

**SMACK! **

The blond jerked to the side at the force of the pureblood's strike, falling to the floor with a light thud. 

Kaname glowered down at Aidou. "Did I ask you to do such a thing?" 

Ice sublimated, smoke swirling in the air before disappearing completely. Zero sighed, lifting his foot and rotating his ankle to make sure his foot hand suffered any damage. 

Aidou kneeled in front of Kaname. "No... I was joking. Please forgive me, Kuran-sama."

The pureblood paid no mind to Aidou's words and uttered. "Go." 

As Aidou left, Kaname turned to Yuuki with a slightly apologetic gaze and let go of her wrist. "His words seemed to have angered you... My apologies, Yuuki." He then turned to Zero. "And my apologies to you as well, Zero. He seems to have gotten you caught in this mess as well."

Zero rolled his eyes and limped a step closer to the pair. "It would've done you better if you had just arrived earlier." 

That comment only received a glance which made Zero twitch. Again, was he chopped liver to nearly everyone he came across?! 

Yuuki stammered with a blush. "Ah! Yeah, I mean- No... Uh..." 

"It's alright..." Kaname caressed Yuuki's cheek. "Just be yourself, Yuuki. You're different from my Night Class underlings." 

Zero coughed to cover up his laugh. So Kaname did think of the Night Class as underlings. 

"Yuuki posses a certain warmth and that's enough for me..." Kaname smiled, one full of melancholy. 

_Why... Why does he look so lonely?_ Yuuki wondered as Kaname took a step back. 

"Next time... Don't come alone with Zero in such a dangerous place. Come along with Ichiru for better protection." 

Yuuki watched as Kaname walked towards Zero. The two seemed to be conversing as Kaname laid a hand on the side of Zero's neck, fingers tracing the healing puncture wounds. They leaned close towards one another, whispering incoherently to Yuuki's ears. Their conversation ended as Zero leaned back with a cryptic smile. 

"In due time, Kaname... _Time is all you need_." 

Kaname gave a smile but Yuuki could see it was forced. She wondered what they were talking about, when Kaname turned back to her and continued their conversation. 

_Creak... _

Zero looked over Kaname's shoulder and at the door spotting Ichiru's figure at the entrance, looking at the scene with an unreadable expression on his face. He figured that Ichiru certainly wasn't pleased but that was all he got. 

"Ichiru..." Yuuki breathed out. 

"Came to get us." Zero added, walking towards Ichiru.

Kaname turned and began walking up the elegant stairs. "It's time for you to return to the world of daylight, Yuuki." 

... 

Yuuki walked with Ichiru and Zero behind walk. 

"Aidou-senpai was in a bad mood because it was morning." Getting an epiphany, Yuuki stopped and looked over her shoulder at Ichiru. "That... Are you doing alright in the sun, Ichiru?" 

Ichiru stared blankly at her. "I wasn't born a vampire." 

Yuuki realized her mistake and rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "Ah. Oh right, haha..." 

Changing the subject, Ichiru gave her a small smile. "So finally hearing Kuran say that you're his important person... Wouldn't that cause a celebration?" 

The brunette jolted with a blush. "I-It's not like that! Kaname-senpai just regards me as something like a pet. We're not compatible at all." She sighed, looking away. "As for me, I've always idolized him... But I know that vampires and humans will never truly be compatible with each other..." 

Yuuki whipped around. "I'm sorry, Ichiru! I..." 

Her sentence trailed off when Ichiru took her hands and placed his sword in them. 

"Eh? This is..." 

"You know what this does, Yuuki." Ichiru interrupted. "If I ever lose myself, you can take this and end it all... It might not be now but use it and kill me with your own hands." 

Yuuki just stared. 

Zero sighed, the wind softly blowing. The rustling leaves added to the eerie silence as his eyes darkened with melancholy and his heart clenched painfully. 

_How cruel fate could be... _

_ Chapter 7: END _

\--- 

7.5 

[ _The incoherent conversation between Kaname and Zero_ ] 

Zero hadn't expected Kaname to walk over to him. 

The pureblood looked elegant as usual but Zero could see the tense muscles underneath the silk shirt. Kaname certainly wasn't pleased with Aidou's actions... That didn't explain why said pureblood was standing so close into his personal bubble. Kaname was much taller than he was- his twin inheriting more height than he did. He craned his neck upward, looking the pureblood straight in the eyes. 

"That note was quite a shocking one, Zero." 

Kaname's velvet voice went a pitch lower, sending pleasurable shivers down Zero's spine. Zero had suppressed it, hoping the pureblood hadn't noticed it. He probably did, but it was the effort that counted. Amethyst eyes searched wine-red ones for that manipulative glint in them.

"Wasn't it a pleasant warning?" He smiled. "At least your dear girl hadn't gotten hurt."

Kaname paused, processing it before chuckling. "You are something else, Zero Kiryuu..." 

Zero nearly startled out of his own skin when he felt feathery light touches on his neck. The touches trailed around the puncture wounds, pressing lightly when close enough to make Zero inhale sharply and shiver once again. 

"You seemed to have known that Yuuki would've gotten bit," Kaname's fingers rubbed soothing circles over the puncture wounds. "I wonder how..." 

The elder twin smiled, "Hm... Just a little birdie here and there." 

Kaname's eyes narrowed just a fraction, leaning closer to Zero that they could see the smallest of details on each other's faces. "I would like to discover what else you have in store..." 

Zero looked up through silver eyelashes. "In due time, Kaname..." He purred, almost teasingly. "_Time is all you need_." 

But time was something Kaname didn't have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And another chapter done.  
The next two chapters should be more enjoyable, this one seemed a bit dull in certain parts. Perhaps that is just me being paranoid. Maybe this interaction between Kaname and Zero should satisfy for what many people surely came for? Sooner or later, we'll get to the romantic aspect... Not too soon though, have to build the story up, of course. 
> 
> Until next update...


	10. A Day Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything was going smoothly- until they left the safety of the academy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Over a thousand people decided to click on my story  
… I like that. This chapter is somehow dull in its own way, but it is essential. I believe the next chapter is one of my favorite written ones thus far. Mainly because more plot development and an oddly placed character development. 
> 
> Do enjoy.

_"It might not be now but... Use it and kill me with your own hands." _

**_Ichiru's words echo and they hurt- they hurt so much because he truly believes he'll become a blood-thirsty vampire without any self control..._ **

"... Yuuki, get up." 

With a gasp, Yuuki's hand shot out and grabbed the wrist of the approaching hand. She stared up at the person in front of her with wide eyes before realizing that it was just Yori. Yuuki loosened her iron grip and pulled her hand away from Yori's wrist with an apologetic smile. Yori tilted her head, not at all bothered by what had just happened. 

"You actually fell asleep during P.E class, a rare sight to see." Yori commented. 

Yuuki ran a hand through her hair. "Unknowingly, I was thinking about complicated stuff." 

Yori stared blankly at the brunette. "I want to tell you a regrettable piece of news..." She pointed to the white stallion glaring out into the distance. "While you were asleep, the horses allocated to this class was taken and only this bad tempered horse White Lily, was left." 

The brunette stared at the horse giving her an evil eye in shock, Yori patted her arm sympathetically. 

"I have already ridden the other horses... Use that good temper of yours to ride that one." Yori said as Yuuki cautiously walked to the horse. "If you don't pay attention, you'll be thrown off." 

"I-I know..." Carefully, Yuuki began to untie the rope from the pole...

... Why did it seem like the horse's eyes were gleaming? 

As soon as she finished that thought, the horse neighed and bucked wildly before sprinting off at full speed. Yuuki squealed, falling backwards as the horse ran in a random direction. 

"Hey teacher!" A student yelled. "White Lily is escaping!"

Yuuki sighed, clutching her heart. "And it runs off..." 

Meanwhile, White Lily had set her mind to find a certain pair of twins. 

Zero hummed, swinging his legs as he sat on the tree branch. On the opposite side of the tree underneath Zero was Ichiru, taking a small break and was about to fall asleep when he heard an angered neigh.

Ichiru sighed. "Aniki, will you take care of this?" 

Zero smiled and continued to hum, not saying a single word in response. 

"Kiryuu, watch out!" The students called out, chasing behind the horse. 

In a silver blur, students watched as a figure dropped from a tree branch and landed on the horse's back. Swiftly, they grabbed the reigns and pulled on it as the horse bucked backward. Students made out the long silver hair belonging to one Zero Kiryuu. 

"Lily." The horse stilled once its front hooves were on the ground.

Zero smiled, gently petting the white mane. "It's alright..." 

He leaned forward near the horse's ear, cooing and petting the soft mane in an attempt to calm the horse. His attempts worked as Lily relaxed her tense body, hearing that someone trustworthy was nearby. Zero's smile widened as he jumped off and came face-to-face with White Lily. 

"Zero is awesome... Easily taming that horse from Hell, White Lily..." 

"As expected from one of the students from the Day Class able to compare to Night Class' Kaname Kuran..."

Yuuki came running, stopping in front of the elder twin and the wild horse. "I'm sorry, Zero! Even though White Lily is so bad tempered, it's the first time she's ever run off..." She then looked down in thought. "But why would she suddenly do that...?" 

Zero gave Yuuki a cryptic smile as White Lily nuzzled him, a distant look upon his face. "Maybe she felt something unpleasant..." 

... 

"Haa... That gave me a fright. That horse is simply too sensitive." 

Ichijo Takuma sighed. "The moment I opened the window, the horse kicked Yuuki and went mad." He then proceeded to sniff himself. "Is the smell of our presence really hated by plants and animals alike? What do you think, Kaname?"

He closed the window, not expecting a response from the pureblood immediately. "Today is a holiday, a rare occasion... Such torture that you aren't able to spend time enjoying yourself." 

Kaname simply continued to write. "The Founding Institute is irritating, sending reports here..."

"Oh yes, forcing yourself to write essays because of those old fogeys. I'm such a ditzy person who loves to read manga, so I can't imagine myself doing that sort of thing..." Ichijo pulled the curtains close. "The place where that horse kicked Yuuki was the butt... She should be alright." 

"Is that so?" 

Ichijo blinked. "You are actually concerned about it, right? How cold..." 

Kaname gave the other vampire a cold stare. 

The blond turned around and headed straight for the door. "I think I'll go back to reading my manga..." 

"Ichijo." 

He stopped, looking over his shoulder at the pureblood.

The two had a stare down before Ichijo sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "What is it, Kaname?" 

... 

"Uwah!" 

Yuuki stretched her hands over her head as she walked along the elevated ledge. "It's been so long since I came out for a walk!" She declared with a grin. "Cross Academy restricts students from leaving school grounds, it's only because I'm running an errand for the Chairman that I'm able to enjoy this privilege!" 

She whirled around and pointed a finger at a bored Ichiru and a smiling Zero. "C'mon, don't look so bored Ichiru! Be like Zero! Take this opportunity to spread your wings!" 

Ichiru stared at her blankly. "Does it seem like I have wings that I can spread?" 

Zero playfully punched Ichiru's shoulder. "Oh lighten up, will you?" 

Before Ichiru can reply, Yuuki grabs both him and Zero by their sleeves and began to pull them forward. "Anyways, we should get going!" 

... 

"Let's see what else the Chairman wants us to buy..." 

Zero hummed, looking through the list. "The Chairman wants us to do arrangements, buy cow liver, green vegetables and... That's it." 

Yuuki and Ichiru remained in their own little worlds as Zero read off the list. It isn't until Yuuki sees something and grabs Ichiru's sleeve do they have a change in course. The brunette dragged the younger twin, Zero following right behind them. Yuuki gently took the fabric in her hands and observed it, hands feeling the material. 

Zero sharply inhaled, looking straight up into the sky in a daze. "We should head back to the academy before sundown..." 

Yuuki hummed, not at all worried. "We don't have to hurry. The Night Class will be resting tonight, so they won't leave the dorms." 

"Okay, give me your arm Ichiru!" Yuuki demanded. 

Ichiru stared at Yuuki before spinning on his heels and walking away. Yuuki gaped as Zero followed in suit, quite happy to just follow. The brunette jumped, turning her attention back to the vendor. 

"If you don't hurry up, we'll leave without you." Ichiru called out. 

"P-Please give this to me! No need to wrap it!" Yuuki said a bit rushed. "A-Ah! You guys! Wait for me!" 

... 

Zero stared at Ichiru worriedly. 

"You need to eat something, Ichiru..." He said with a frown. 

Yuuki huffed, taking a spoonful of ice cream and placing it in her mouth. "Yeah... Take it as repayment for helping me carry everything!"

Ichiru, on the other hand, was pouting- well, at least in Zero's eyes. "But I didn't want to eat here..." 

The brunette avoided the solemn gaze from the younger twin with a guilty look upon her face. The only reason why Yuuki had wanted to come to this parlor was for her own selfish reasons. "But this place's ice cream is in popular demand. And when I came with Yori, it was..." 

Zero frowned at this. "Can you still not come out by yourself, Hime?" 

Yuuki pouted. "I can..." 

Ichiru sighed and placed his chin against his palm. "No need to put on a brave front. Whenever you go outside of the academy, you'd remember those events, don't you?" The younger twin glanced up at Yuuki. "The world is not filled with the type of harmless vampires like Kuran-senpai." 

The brunette simply sighed. "You are so long-winded. I'm not scared at all! And that was ten years ago-" 

"You sure eat a lot, Hime." Came Zero's light-hearted remark.

Yuuki shoved another spoonful of her ice cream in her mouth. "How irritating." she huffed, glowering slightly. "You two are too cunning! From long time ago, you two have known everything about me but I still don't know anything from your pasts! Not anything about your school life nor your-" 

"Ah!" A new voice interrupted. "Sorry to interrupt but are you two students from Cross Academy?" 

Their attention shifted to one of the workers who had approached their table. She clearly stared at the twins with a certain glint in her eyes, not at all feeling ashamed about interrupting their conversation. Her eyes never left the twins as she became even bolder after her guess. 

"I knew it! You are, right? No wonder you two seem different from each other as expected from people apart of that special class!" The girl babbled absentmindedly, clearing offending Ichiru. 

"H-Hey, t-that- Wait a minute!" Yuuki tried to protest, standing up but was ignored by the enthusiastic girl. 

"Do you know Aidou from the Night Class? He loves to eat sweet things and sometimes he'd come here. Please tell him that he'd be welcome back here again!" 

Ichiru then decided it was time to leave, standing up and removing himself from the situation. He didn't make eye-contact with any of them, only glancing at his older twin before walking away. 

"I'll go out first." Was all he said as he left the parlor. 

"A-Ah, yeah... Wait for us outside..." 

Zero abruptly stood up as well, startling both the brunette and the worker. Long strands of silver covered his eyes, avoiding eye contact with the pair who stared curiously at him. "I'll go wait outside with Ichiru too, Hime." 

_And there goes Zero_, Yuuki thought with a slight frown.

... 

The Kiryuu twins stood outside of the parlor in silence. 

Ichiru stared into the distance, clearly displeased by what had just happened. Did he really look like those damned vampires that they'd automatically assume he was one of them? A sigh escaped his lips as he hip-checked his brother who stood beside him. 

"Do I really give off that same vibe the Night Class does?" Ichiru asked out of pure curiosity. 

Zero simply gave one of his famous cryptic smiles before his eyes glazed over, smile fading away. It was only for that split second did Zero's head snap upwards to the sky, as if sensing that something was off. Ichiru watched Zero with careful eyes and was startled when the elder twin took off in a random direction. 

And like the sensitive twin he was, he followed in pursuit, dropping the bags in the process. 

Yuuki came out a bit later, "Ichiru, Zero. Did you guys wait long?" 

It was as if she was talking to a wall because Ichiru and Zero weren't waiting outside like they said they would. She looked left and right, confused as to why they weren't there. Yuuki spotted the dropped items and decided to go in search for the missing twins around the corner and in the alleyway. 

"Ichiru? Zero?" She called out. "Where did you guys go?" 

Yuuki looked around a bit more before feeling a sharp pain on her arm- almost as if someone had just cut her with a blade. She winced, not expecting such a thing to happen. "O-Ow..." 

_Swish_

The brunette quickly whipped out her Artemis Rod, lifting it up to block the black blur coming at her. A guttural sound came from the thing pushing down on the rod, startling Yuuki as she looked up at the creature above her. 

"_V-Vampire?_" She said bewildered, making eye-contact with it.

The thing back flipped off of the rod, landing with ease and a few steps in front of her. It grinned, revealing sharp teeth. 

"Your blood..." It sneered. "Smells delicious... Let me drink it all..." 

It lunged at the girl frozen with fright, everything moving too fast. Before Yuuki can even process it, someone's hand grasped the rod over Yuuki's smaller hands and thrusted forward to attack the vampire. Yuuki gasped as a familiar voice spoke into her ear. 

"Still in a daze, Hime?" Zero's voice was playful, almost predatory. 

The vampire stared wide eyed as it dodged the rod. Yuuki looked over her shoulder, spotting the elder twin holding the Artemis Rod in hands, an arm wrapped around Yuuki's waist and holding her close. 

"Zero...!" 

Zero smiled, watching as the girl lost the strength in her legs. She seemed to be in shock, clinging onto him like it was her lifeline. Amethyst stared as Yuuki began to mutter. "Since I've gotten in this place, I've been feeling uneasy..." 

The elder twin didn't pay no mind to the muttering brunette, hearing two voices in the distance.

"What was that noise?" One voice asked. 

"Let's investigate." Another voice, this one monotone, replied. 

Zero continued to smile, glancing to the right. "We shouldn't let humans see such an unsightly thing." 

The vampire only grinned, drool dribbling down the corner of its mouth and down its chin as it thought of its next meal. "Blood..." It breathed, almost disgustingly with want as it stared down at Zero and Yuuki." 

"Weren't you originally human...?" Zero muttered to himself.

The vampire heard and jumped into the air. "Yeah! So what?!" 

Zero only watched it as it cackled, only to be split into two by a blade. The two parts of what was once human disintegrated into a pile of ash alongside the clothing torn into shreds. The elder Kiryuu twin only stared as Yuuki gaped at the person standing where the lunging vampire was. 

"Ichiru!" 

"You had taken your time, brother dearest." Zero teased, watching as the irritated twin glowered at him. 

"If you hadn't left me, I wouldn't have taken so long, brother of mine." Ichiru replied through gritted teeth, placing his katana back into its sheath. 

Two pairs of footsteps approached, catching the attention of the trio as they turned their heads to the source. Yuuki stared in surprise as Night Class' Ichijo Takuma and Shiki Senri came into her view, not at all expecting two high-class vampires to be in an alleyway. 

"Ah, seems like we were a bit late to the party." Ichijo sheepishly smiled. 

"Seems like they didn't need me at all..." Muttered Shiki's monotone voice. 

"Shiki-senpai and Ichijo-senpai." Zero breathed, tilting his head to the side. "What a pleasant surprise to see you here." 

"Ichijo-senpai and Shiki-senpai... In this sort of place, why would you come here and do such a thing...?" Yuuki asked out of pure curiosity. 

Ichijo simply placed a finger over his lips. "Yuuki, please go back and treat your wound... Such a scent will excite our senses." 

Zero watched Ichiru's reaction as Yuuki clutched her wound. It seemed like Yuuki had caught it as well, wondering if she still didn't know anything as the younger twin looked down in thought. 

_And to think_, Zero thought wryly. _It was such a nice day to go out, too..._

_ Chapter 8: END _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With this chapter done, it should somewhat sate everyone's thirst for an update.
> 
> Comments are greatly appreciated, thought I'd remind everyone who has stuck with me thus far. Next chapter should definitely include some Zero/Kaname interaction but nothing like the previous chapter. It appears that updates may come late instead of the two-day updates, so don't panic if you don't see the regularly scheduled update. 
> 
> Until next update...


	11. Night Time Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes ignorance is bliss. But stubbornness and curiosity can always override such a saying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oho, an update has arrived.  
This week has been terribly awful and upside down with everything I've done. Getting and spending a near whole week sick is not what I've planned. Even now, this headache is very, very annoying. But I digress. This chapter has some... Interesting developments. Hopefully, you readers will find it as entertaining as I have, otherwise, this would be me lying to myself that I'm a good writer. 
> 
> Do enjoy.

**There are some things that live in the darkness. **

**They are beasts that take on human form and drink human blood; the _Vampires_. Then, there are the _Vampire Hunters_; the humans who spend their whole lives with the sole task of hunting down vampires. **

A figure stepped out into the alleyway, spotting the pile of ash on the ground. White smoke swirled, dissipating into the air from the butt of the cigarette held loosely in the figure's mouth. They bent down and picked up the ashes, only to have it fall through the cracks of their fingers. 

"... Ants?" They muttered. 

... 

[ Time Skip; Night Time ] 

\- Cross Academy -

"Liver with fried veggies, stewed green veg with meat, minced fish and many others," came the cheerful voice of Kaien Cross. "My original creations..." 

He smiled brightly, holding up his chopsticks. "How is it? Nice?" 

An awkward silence fell upon the group of four as they ate at the dinner table. Ichiru and Yuuki ignored the Chairman and his cheerful personality, continuing to eat while Zero smiled in the middle of it all. This dejected the man as he went on the floor on his hands and knees in a dejected position. 

"Mother is so sad!" The grown man cried. "I worked so hard to make those dishes! Such a rare occasion that the four of us are able to eat together! Huu!" 

"Even though he keeps saying '_my original creation_', it's too good to be true..." Yuuki muttered. 

"Did I not tell you that I'm not apart of this so-called family?" Came Ichiru's monotone reply. 

"My, you two are such downers..." Zero pouted as he plopped another piece of his meal into his mouth. 

The Chairman sighed, realizing that he should've expected such replies to come from the teenagers at the dinner table. "Never mind... At least you three are eating up..." 

Suddenly, his expression turned solemn. 

"Did... Did anything happen to you outside. Yuuki's injury..." 

The question recalled a memory- one that involved the Night Class vice president, Ichijo Takuma. 

_Why did we take care of that vampire?_ Ichijo chuckled. _If you want to know, come to the back of the Moon Dorms late in the night... Don't you want to know the details? _

Yuuki stared down at her arm where the wound was located. "These injuries..." She pondered on how to word her next sentence. _Can I say it to Chairman Cross? Zero and Ichiru hadn't mentioned anything about what had happened..._

But before she can reply, the Chairman perked up.

"Ah, I almost forgot." He turned to Ichiru. "You've almost finished those that you've had, correct?" 

Chairman Cross held out the one item Ichiru loathed to see; in the Chairman's hands was blood tablets that Ichiru was indeed running out of. The younger Kiryuu twin took the blood tablets in his hand, looking up to catch Yuuki's curious stare. 

"Don't be at a loss... From now on, things like this would become a daily thing." Ichiru said, staring down at his food. 

"Ah..." Yuuki stared down at her own plate of food as well. But shouldn't you be the one at loss, Ichiru?" 

"Why are you wearing such expressions?" Cross waved his hand cheerily. "Even though these tablets are for restraining blood thirsts, it's fairly similar to eating meals!" 

Zero cackled as Ichiru stood up with an icy smile to go after the Chairman for such an idiotic implication. 

"C-Calm down, Ichiru! You should think positively!" Cried the Chairman.

Yuuki sweat dropped, _the Chairman should've known better than to say such a thing... Because he knows all about Ichiru_. Yuuki looked to the side, staring straight at Zero. _Zero knew about Ichiru, about vampires... I would also like to know more. So tonight..._

... 

[ Moon Dorms ] 

Leaves rustled, the cold breeze prickling at Zero's face. 

The elder twin smiled as Ichiru made sure his katana was nice and sharp before entering the Moon Dorms. Yuuki nearly panicked as Ichiru inspected the katana with the intent on using it if needed. 

"W-Wait, Ichiru!" Yuuki grasped his shoulder. "You shouldn't be accompanying me to the Night Section with attacking in mind!" 

"I'm really grateful for your concern, but I'll be alright by myself... So you and Zero should go back." 

The twins blatantly ignored Yuuki's statement. 

"If there wasn't any problems, I wouldn't have troubled myself like so..." Ichiru said, not taking one look at Yuuki. 

"From now on, we're in the Moon Dorm's vicinity. As expected, the atmosphere around here is special." Zero pipped in. 

The wind blew as both Yuuki and Ichiru drew their weapons. Two presences were approaching- both were of _vampiric_ aura. Zero, however, stood there without a problem as the pair pointed their weapons at the vampires who had come to greet them.

"Are you here to welcome us... Vampires?" Ichiru asked, the point of his katana barely grazing the neck of Akatsuki Kain. 

Aidou sighed, ignoring the Artemis Rod about to prod at his cheek. "That's right... If Ichijo hadn't asked me to, I wouldn't have come." 

Akatsuki held up his hands in surrender. "Don't always be at odds with my kind, go back to being your perfect... Concerning all the bad things that happened recently, tonight we'll..." 

The three perfects blinked. 

... 

Murmurs went about amongst the aristocratic vampires. 

"Are they here yet?" Shiki asked. 

"To do what?" A female vampire questioned. 

"I advise you to forget what you were thinking of or you'll be dealt with." Came the ominous warning. "The real troublesome people have yet to come. Akatsuki Kain and Hanabusa Aidou, Kaname-sama's right hand men."

**They are different from what they show at school... Who take off their guises in this dark night. The vampires' real appearances are all displayed here. **

"Over here." Akatsuki gestured to the trio. 

"Deputy Chief Ichijo, I brought your guests here." Akatsuki told the blond. 

"Oh?" Ichijo turned around with a bright smile. "You came! Yuuki and Kiryuu twins!" 

"Tonight is my birthday party, isn't it fun?" 

Zero let out a muffled squealing noise as he grasped both of Ichijo's hands in his. "Birthday? Happy birthday Ichijo-senpai! Why didn't you tell me this earlier?!"

Yuuki deadpanned. Only this place in another world... Feels too 'human'-ish and not 'vampiric' at all, but it's only him. And why did Zero share an equally enthusiastic response with Ichijo-senpai, anyways?! "Well... May I know how old you are?" 

"How old you say...? In terms of human years or vampire years?" Ichijo asked the brunette. 

"Uh... Vampire?" She replied a bit unsure. 

The blond turned to the side with a slight blush, that silly smile never leaving his face. "I'm eighteen, already an adult now. So as a present, I'll accept Yuuki-chan's kiss." 

Zero cackled as his twin took on a slightly annoyed expression. Yuuki bristled, clearly not wanting to deal with Ichijo's antics right now. 

"Ah? I didn't come here to play! I'm here as a perfect to ask about what had happened earlier tonight!" Yuuki nearly yelled. "I still cannot pretend nothing has happened, leaving school grounds is against school rules. No, compared to this... And about that vampire..." 

Ichijo tilted his head. "Alright, ask away. Everyone here knows about this. 

That was surprising, Yuuki thought before continuing. "Does that mean dangerous vampires roaming the streets are uncommon? Also, Ichijo-senpai specifically took the time to go and kill him, right?" She turned her gaze to the ground. "What _exactly_ was that vampire?"

"That was an _Ex-human_ vampire..." Aidou responded. "Very lowly." 

Ichijo sent the other blond a stern gaze. "Aidou..." 

But Aidou continued on. "In vampire society, those at the top are called Purebloods and a gathering of vampires are called Nobles. Even though everyone from the Night Class are Nobles and above..." 

"To put it like a pyramid, Ex-humans are even more lowly than normal vampires." Ichijo continued. "Truth is, they were not dealt with thoroughly. The vampire that Ichiru-san killed belonged to the _E-Class_. Sometimes, that doesn't even have a place in the pyramid." 

Yuuki looked dazed. "E... Class...?" 

"To put it more correctly, it's the _End Class_." Akatsuki said. "Speaking of which, the Kiryuu twins should know about this too, since they are members of a vampire hunter family." 

Zero smiled, clapping his hands together and tilting his head. "Of course we do! Ex-human vampires would eventually sink to the level of the E-Class. Hime, their will would slowly erode until they reach their end, their limit or shattering." 

"That's right," Ichiru spoke up. "They'll have an uncontrollable craving for blood- going as far as recklessly attacking humans. Because of this, ex-human vampires are managed by nobles and above." 

Yuuki seemed to be lost, the load information slowly processing itself. "Managed..." 

"But there would occasionally be a mishap. Sometimes an ex-human vampire that's gone mad would escape from the nobles' control and charge into human society..." 

This time, another voice made its entrance into the conversation. 

"I heard a report today that there was an E-Class vampire roaming outside. Ichijo and Shiki went to hunt him down... At my order." Kaname Kuran said, causing murmurs to go about once again. 

"K-Kaname-senpai!" Yuuki gasped. 

"Such a rare sight... That Kaname-sama would actually appear at this night meeting..." One of the vampires gasped. 

Yuuki, however, ignored the murmurs and stared straight at Kaname in slight disbelief. "S-Senpai, to that vampire, you..." 

Kaname stared back. "Yuuki, why didn't you report this matter to Chairman Cross?"

Yuuki jumped a bit. "As a school perfect, upon hearing Ichijo's words... I thought that simply reporting this matter wouldn't be enough. Also, I would also like to confirm this myself..." 

Kaname sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Yourself, is it? Coming to a place with the Kiryuu twins..." 

The Pureblood plopped himself on the lavish couch as the trio approached. Yuuki shuffled closer to Zero, feeling the tense atmosphere coming from the vampires all around. Kaname stared at Yuuki, seeming to be in deep thought before saying something surprising.

"Yuuki," said girl perked up at her name. "Come sit beside me." 

"E-Eh?" Yuuki flushed. 

"Come." 

The brunette glanced between the pair of twins, seeing if they had any objections. Ichiru didn't even spare Yuuki a glance while Zero smiled encouragingly, tilting his head forward for the girl to sit next to her beloved Kaname-senpai. But when she glanced at the vampires, their intense gaze caused her to outright deny him. 

"N-No thanks." 

Kaname didn't even have to look at her. "_Yuuki_." 

At that tone, the girl immediately settled herself next to the pureblood. Kaname glanced at the elder Kiryuu twin before saying something even more surprising. 

"Why don't you also sit next to me, Zero?"

Zero blinked, smile fading as he hadn't expected the pureblood to suggest such a thing. A vampire hunter sitting next to a pureblood? Unheard of! Ichiru nearly blanched in shock but kept his composure. Had that bloodsucker really _requested_ his brother to sit next to him? 

"E-Excuse me? I am quite fine standing, Kaname-" 

"_Zero_." 

"Of course." 

Zero's reaction was similar to Yuuki's, sitting on the couch's arm next to the pureblood. What was Kaname planning? Placing him at his side like he was of high importance like Yuuki clearly was. The pureblood seemed smug, glad that at least one of the Kiryuu hunters obeyed his orders. Soon after that, he pulled Yuuki close to his chest. 

"The safest place is beside me." 

Yuuki turned a darker pink. "K-Kaname-senpai..." 

Ichiru stared at the scene with dark eyes, what the hell was the pureblood planning? Not only having Yuuki sit next to him but bringing his brother into it as well? That just didn't sit right with Ichiru at all. Maybe he can interrogate Zero later...? 

"I'm sorry that you would encounter that at the 'hunting' scene, I would've never expected it..." Kaname sighed as Yuuki looked up at him. He tightened his grip on her shoulder. "However..." 

Kaname's hand slid down Yuuki's arm and tightened. "You're also at fault for wandering around in that sort of place... You were injured by that vampire, right? It must be painful." 

Yuuki stuttered as Kaname lifted her arm. "N-No, it's because I was careless." 

Her excuse went ignored as Kaname spoke. "Ex-human vampires should've not been created. Long, long ago when the battle between vampires and their enemies occurred, the vampire hunters were at their fiercest. Some vampires wanted to rope in most humans into becoming one of them in order to increase their 'combat ability'." 

Yuuki stared up at Kaname. "That... Kaname-senpai..." The Night Class actually does these sort of things? 

"Nowadays, vampires from the Noble Class and above have taken on the duty of managing the remnants of those vampires. Sometimes, we might even need to take care of them." The bandage around Yuuki's arm were loosened, falling down her arm in curls. 

"Hunting vampires is a vampire hunter's responsibility..." Kaname sent a taunting glance to Ichiru, making said hunter twitch with irritation. He returned his attention to Yuuki. "Let me erase the pain of your wound." 

Before Yuuki can even ask how Kaname would do that, the pureblood leaned forward and pressed his lips against the wound. The brunette startled, not expecting Kaname to even think of kissing her wound. "S-Senpai!" 

_SHING! _

Nobody saw Ichiru move until the younger hunter had his katana's sharp point at the pureblood's neck. At the same speed, Zero pulled out Bloody Rose from its place, aiming it at the vampire whose hand was at Ichiru's throat. The air became tense and heavy when aware eyes watched crimson drops of blood fall from the vampire's fingertips. Ichiru, on the other hand, went unbothered by the hand at his throat. 

"That isn't a good idea with your hand so close to my brother's neck, _**vampire**_." Zero's usually playful tone was dark, the last word being spat out in distaste. He then turned Bloody Rose to Kaname's temple. "Or did you forget I am sitting next to your beloved pureblood?"

All eyes turned to the unusually solemn twin. Zero had gained some startled gazes, nobody expecting the least hostile twin to dish out such a threat and to such an important person in the vampire community. Surprisingly enough, many of them were beginning to think Zero would carry it out when he clicked the safety off.

"Remove your hand lest he loses his head." Zero demanded, giving a cyanide sweet smile. 

Kaname simply glanced in Zero's direction, noting the glint in his eyes. Wine-red eyes looked over to the female vampire who seemed to hesitate on what to do next. 

"It's fine." Kaname said, breaking the tension. "The one who provoked him was me." 

Yuuki stared incredulously at the twins, more so Zero than Ichiru. She had expected Ichiru to pull out his weapon sooner or later, but for Zero to do so as well and give out a threat that held promise? That was a surprise for anyone who knew the elder Kiryuu. _But then again, Ichiru was being threatened... _Yuuki thought. 

"Zero... Ichiru..." 

Upon hearing the girl's soft whisper of their names, the twins exchanged looks before withdrawing their weapons. The tension in the air cleared a bit as the elder twin turned to the pureblood with an apologetic smile on his face. If Kaname hadn't known better, he would've assumed that Zero's smile was genuine. 

No, there was a sharpness in that smile. Those amethyst eyes taking a sangria color, becoming dark and alluring. How odd... 

"My apologies, Kaname-senpai." The elder twin bowed his head. "I shouldn't have pointed Bloody Rose at you with such a threat as well." 

Kaname's eyes narrowed. What was Zero planning to do after this apology? However, Kaname sent him a calculating glance. He'll let it go _this time_.

"That gave me a fright..." Ichijo breathed out. 

Aidou glared. "They dare to pull their weapons on Kaname-sama? Those Kiryuu bastards... Cutting them into pieces won't satisfy me." 

Ichijo glanced at the blond. "Forget it, Aidou. You can't really do anything at this point." 

"Ah, I'll try my best to bear with it. During this time at school, I won't go against Chairman Cross's peace treaty." Aidou assured. "But don't forget that it's only because of Kaname-sama's presence that we have gathered here at Cross Academy." 

Yuuki stared at Aidou in disbelief. "Kaname-senpai is a pureblood..." Her head then whipped in Ichiru's direction, later fluttering over to Zero's with realization dawning on her face. 

_Pureblood... The same kind of vampire that attacked Ichiru and Zero's family._

"You look like it's the first time you've heard of it." Kaname tilted his head. "Are you scared, Yuuki?" 

The brunette shook her head. "Actually... Since long ago, I've been a little scared of Kaname-senpai. Now, still..." 

_Clap! _

"Okay!" Came Ichijo's cheery voice. "It's so mean of everyone to forget... Everyone is here tonight to celebrate my birthday. We must enjoy ourselves properly! No matter if it's Yuuki or the Kiryuu twins, they're still honored guests!" 

... 

_Fwip_

"Such a serious expression." Laughed a deep voice. "Going through a rebellious phase?" 

Chairman Cross shuffled through the papers without looking at the stranger in front of him. Said stranger stared at the photograph in his hands; in the picture was the Kiryuu twins and Yuuki. Two of the three were smiling happily while one stayed headstrong with a miniscule smile. 

"Ichiru's not that sort of kid. You can have that if you want." 

"Are you referring to Ichiru himself?"

"No, I'm referring to the photo." Cross clarified. 

A cheery smile then found its way on his face. "The girl beside him in that photo is my Yuuki... Though she's a year younger than the twins, she's a strong girl. That day was Ichiru and Zero's first day of school. They had finally relented after Yuuki's pestering." 

The stranger whipped his head up with a bewildered look on his face. "What? First day? Those stupid twins stayed back a year?" 

Cross waved his hand. "Don't worry. Even with that, their results are still good. They stayed back in the Junior Section." 

"Forget it. I understand their reluctance to attend a senior class. There are the Night Class people in the senior section, it would be hard to avoid meeting that pureblood." Cross stared out into the distance. "I've asked the twins to take up the task of keeping the Night Class 'troublemakers' in check." 

"What's with your peace treaty?" The stranger asked. "Distrust the Night Class?" 

Cross shook his head. "I trust them but no doubt those children are full of vigor." 

The stranger sighed. "Leaving them here with you is wrong." 

"What are you saying?" Cross gave him a look. "At that time, this was the best solution. Since that time, I haven't seen you for four years. I'm surprised I'd actually be alive and talking to you here." 

It was silent for a few moments before the stranger spoke up, going on an entirely different topic. "Today, there was an E-Class roaming the streets." 

"Oh? Have you done your work?" 

That comment earned a glare. "Don't joke." He spat. "He was quickly turned to ashes. This was the doing of your Night Class students. Or was there a noble class nearby?" 

Cross cackled. "Of course not. Our school rules state that Night Class students are not allowed outside." 

"They definitely won't abide by this rule." 

"No! It must be someone else! Somebody who saves people on the streets." Cross gained a glint in his eyes. "Just a knight, secretly shadowing people..."

"Don't crack such a trash joke." The stranger barked, taking a cigarette out of its pack. "The only ones that should be hunting vampires are us, the vampire hunters." 

Cross pouted. "I'll just forbid them to kill. But what are you doing here?"

"Definitely not to see you. Of course, it's to see the twins, we do have a blood oath."

"An oath, huh?" Cross stared out the window. "I'll just let you spend some time together like before..." 

... 

_Such a dull party_, Zero noted as he looked around. 

The excitement - at least on Zero's part - had died down, the vampires murmuring with one another with occasional glances to either him or Ichiru. _Well, I wouldn't blame them._ Zero hummed a soft melody, ignoring the pureblood's curious gaze. Ichiru and Yuuki, on the other hand, weren't as carefree as Zero. They seemed tense as if knowing that something bad was going to happen. 

And they were right, but Zero wasn't going to tell them anything. 

Yuuki stood up, looking at the pureblood. "Kaname-senpai, we're leaving." 

Kaname only nodded in acknowledgement while Zero stayed in his spot, waiting for another scene to unfold. Meanwhile, Ichijo and Shiki stood in front of a four-tier cake, conversing with one another peacefully as the blond held a blade in his hand. Zero watched as the blade slid across Ichijo's palm, creating a pretty deep cut with blood 

Shiki kept his blank expression as he leaned down to suck and lick at the blood coming from Ichijo's palm. At the sight of blood, Zero's eyes widened involuntarily as he glanced at Ichiru who glared at the pair. Having enough of the scene, Ichiru walked away and out of the party, leaving behind his twin and the brunette he'd accompanied with. 

"I-Ichiru?!" Yuuki gasped. 

Yuuki chased after Ichiru while the elder twin sighed and stood up, ready to follow the pair but at his own leisure. Zero looked over his shoulder at the pureblood with yet another of his cryptic smiles. 

"It seems like the White Queen has gotten away from your grasp." Zero said, earning a minor glare from the pureblood. "You should relax, King. The game has only just begun." 

Kaname said nothing and only watched as the elder Kiryuu twin left, humming some random song. 

... 

Yuuki ran after Ichiru but had quickly lost sight of him. 

_I didn't like that atmosphere... Maybe Ichiru felt uneasy as well? _Yuuki wondered when she took notice of her arm. _Wait... The wound doesn't hurt anymore. _She felt a heaviness settle in her chest as she slowed down. 

**Removing pain... Vampires really do have this sort of god-like ability.**

"Huh?" Yuuki glanced down at what she had stepped on. Leaning down, she picked up the tiny box and looked inside of it, seeing white circular tablets. Blood tablets? Ichiru's? She glanced to the side and finally found the person she was looking for. 

Ichiru leaned against the gate by the poolside. Ichiru looked tired, eyebrows furrowed and expression settled in a grimace as he panted. From his loose fingers, more blood tablets fell as Ichiru coughed up some unknown liquid. Yuuki immediately ran to his side, wondering what the hell was going on. 

"Ichiru!" She knelt by him. "Why- Are you alright?" 

Not too far behind, Zero walked casually. He knew Ichiru wasn't alright and knew fully well that Ichiru's body was currently experiencing some complications. A light breeze brushed against his face like a lover's caress as Zero spoke the last of his thoughts out loud. 

"Complications like rejecting the blood tablets..." Zero sighed. "I wonder when people will realize they can't hide much from me?"

Ichiru clutched at Yuuki's shoulder, head bowed as he panted. 

"Ever since I attacked Aniki, I have to eat these tablets. But..." He clutched Yuuki's shoulder harder, making said girl flinch. "It always makes me feel disgusted.

Yuuki looked down at Ichiru. _Does that mean Ichiru hasn't taken any blood tablets since then? Then... _"That hurts, Ichiru." 

Ichiru ignored her, lifting his head up to lick at Yuuki's neck. Yuuki startled. _I should stop him!_ She thought but her body remained frozen. 

**No... I must stop him. **

_Splash! _

The two fell into the water. During that time underwater, Ichiru came back to his senses with his grip still on Yuuki's arms. The both of them resurfaced with a gasp, none of them able to process the next events to come. 

Yuuki saw the gun being pointed at Ichiru before an echoing gunshot rang in the air. Ichiru stilled in shock, feeling pain blooming in his shoulder as a familiar voice broke the silence. 

"Stop right there, vampire." The stranger glared down at Ichiru with a smoking cigarette in his mouth. "Or should I use this gun on my student?" 

_Student...? _

_Chapter 9: END_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 4,000+ words and an interesting Kaname/Zero interaction.  
Hm, that's a new record. If luck is with me, the next update shouldn't take long to be posted. If luck isn't, well... I'd get to updating sometime. Did anyone enjoy Kaname and Zero's interaction? Better yet, did anyone enjoy this new development in Zero? It wouldn't do well if he was ditzy all the time. A comment or two would be appreciated. I do read comments and one commenter has given me an interesting idea. May consider it as I'm writing this and winging it all the while. Who knows how it'll all work out? I certainly don't.
> 
> Until next update...


	12. Sensei

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> People from the past tend to make reappearances. But so does a certain brunette's inability to stay out of trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm. An update.  
Today's been off but beggars can't be choosers. I received more comments and that makes me very happy. If I don't reply directly, that is just me being a coward but I do have a reply for the next time I update. The answers to some questions are at the end of the chapter, so do read until the end... Or you can click read more notes, that works too.
> 
> Do enjoy.

"Sensei..." 

The man blinked, looking up at the young twin boys staring down at him. One was staring at him with a bitter expression, lilac eyes filled with guilt while the other stared with knowing eyes. Ichiru and Zero Kiryuu were forever enigmas to the man, even in moments like this one. Ichiru fidgeted in his spot. Zero, on the other hand, patted his back encouragingly before walking off to give the two their moment. 

"I'm sorry... You told me to escape but I came back and because of me, your eyes..." Ichiru looked down with teary eyes. 

"You..." The man sighed and sat up, bandages covering his left eye. "Do you want me to regret risking my life to save yours?" 

He ruffled Ichiru's hair, "I didn't save you so you can have such a pitiful expression on you." 

"Sensei..." Ichiru sniffled. "Why would vampires harm humans?" 

The man stared at Ichiru seriously. "It's because they're creatures who can't defy their natural instincts. Therefore we must hunt them down. I and other vampires, including the Kiryuu clan live for only this. Do you understand, Ichiru?" 

"**Vampires could only be our enemy**."   
  


...   
  


"Ah..!" 

Yuuki gasped, clutching Ichiru close. "I-Ichiru!" 

"Even if it's just a light brush, great pain is inflicted because the bullet is imbued with magic arts." The man stared down coldly at the pair. "Even with your craving for blood, you should still retain awareness. Isn't that right, Ichiru?" 

Ichiru closed his eyes, ignoring Yuuki's gaze. He was startled when Yuuki embraced him and took a protective stance in front of the man, eyes filled with determination. The man was surprised even if he didn't show it. 

"You..." He stared at her. "Are that stupid chairman's daughter?" 

Yuuki glared. "I'm not clear about your relationship with Ichiru but who are you to determine whether or not he lives? I won't let Ichiru die!" 

The man narrowed his eyes. "Even if he degenerates into an E-Class vampire?" 

Yuuki's response was cut short when Zero's voice cut in. 

"That's enough, Yuuki." Zero said, voice soft and steady. 

Zero stood behind the stranger, only reaching to the man's shoulder as he stared up with wide and glossy eyes. The elder twin smiled at the man cryptically, ignoring the way the man's eyes narrowed in clear distrust. 

"And hello to you, _Sensei_." He greeted. "Headmaster Cross should be arriving by now-" 

"WHY!" Cross's voice cut Zero's sentence. "Why has it turned out like this? This is why I hate vampire hunters!" 

Zero blinked as Cross jumped over the fence and straight towards the edge of the pool. Cross seemed annoyed at the man who stood there unfazed by the other man's eccentric entrance. 

"How long could you let a girl soak in water?!" Cross huffed, kneeling down with both hands held out. "Poor kids, come and I'll pull you up..." 

By the time Cross finished his sentence, Yuuki and Ichiru had already helped themselves out of the pool, clearly ignoring the man's offered assistance. Which, in all honesty, made Zero snicker in delight. Those two would never be as affectionate with the headmaster as he was to them. 

Yuuki stopped by the man, staring up at him. "What kind of person are you...?" 

The man removed his cigarette from his mouth and gave her a once-over. "Yagari Toga, vampire hunter and the twins' teacher... Isn't that right, Ichiru, Zero." 

"Of course." Zero agreed while Ichiru gave a simple "Yes." 

"You really act like a daughter of that idiot chairman... You were almost bitten by Ichiru. I'm doing this for your own good, so don't go blaming me." 

Yuuki bit the inside of her cheek.   
  


...   
  


In the end, the four of them went to the Chairman's office while I'm the only one left out...

Yuuki sat in her bed in pajamas, staring up at the ceiling of her dorm room with legs pulled up at her chest. Even though Chairman Cross tells me not to worry, that person will try and harm Ichiru unless Zero decides to do anything about it. 

Ichiru's body rejected the blood tablets, increasing his craving for blood... _If this goes on then Ichiru will suffer..._ Yuuki's eyes widened with fright. 

"... Yuuki?" 

The brunette startled at the sound of Yori calling to her. She turned to her roommate who sat up in her bed. Yuuki smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" 

Yori climbed into Yuuki's bed with a concerned look upon her face. She didn't know what was going on with Yuuki, but her friend was surely troubled by whatever was going on. 

"You seem troubled lately. Is it something I can't help you with?"

At Yori's question, Yuuki can only bury her face in her hands as the scenes from before played again in her mind. _I'm so helpless... _Yuuki thought, recalling Zero's words. 

_That's enough, Yuuki. _  
  


...   
  


The next day and Ichiru came to school. 

Zero came to class but refused to answer any of Yuuki's questions about Ichiru's whereabouts. Which, in all honesty, had annoyed Yuuki because it was like before- nobody telling her anything despite her inquiries. Zero only gave her a cryptic smile with slightly aware eyes that made her worry even more. His calm assurances did nothing but made her ask more questions. 

Instead of continuing with the stubbornly silent twin, she approached Yagari, pulling on the back of his coat. 

"What happened to Ichiru?" Yuuki demanded. "He didn't come to school and Chairman Cross also isn't here. What did you do with him?" 

Yagari only glanced at her. "We isolated him, of course." 

"Isolated?" Yuuki stared at him scandalized. 

"It won't surprise me if he went mad someday, so before that happens, I'm hoping to prevent any more casualties." Yagari said this so casually that it startled Yuuki. 

"But is he okay? Where is he?" 

"Go away," Yagari scowled. "I'm not free to chat with you. That hermit says Ichiru can't be allowed to stay here. Always leaving the troublesome stuff to me. "I'm the night moral class substitute lecturer now." 

Yuuki gasped, letting go of Yagari's coat. "W-Wait a minute- Lecturer?!"

"You better go and do your job, perfect." Was all Yagari said before the door closed.  
  


...   
  


Once Yagari walked into the classroom, nearly all eyes turned to him. 

The students of the Night Class watched with predatory eyes at the man who seemed much too calm to be in a room filled with vampires. Yagari smirked, placing the book in his hands on the desk as he introduced himself. 

"I'm Yagari Toga, your substitute teacher for morals... It's nice to meet you, vampires..." 

One of the vampires eyed the hunter. "Yagari... The number one vampire hunter that appeared in the news had the same name." 

Aidou glared. "So that man is responsible for last night's gunshot." 

Yagari ignored the whispers and placed both palms on the desk. "Relax. I've got a teaching license so I'm now a qualified educator." 

"Last I heard..." Kaname began. "You were in a far off place and now you're back, still gathering info on the Night Class? Or do you have a target amongst us... Yagari-_sensei_."

"All in one, Kuran Kaname." Yagari said. "So sorry but I still have a clean sheet. But if you fall asleep in class, I'll probably add to that record?" 

Kaname only hummed. "I'll take note, sensei..."   
  


...   
  


With class ending, Yagari was once again stopped. 

The brunette perfect stood in the hallway in one spot, determination written all over her face. Yagari felt his singular eye twitch, wondering when the girl would give up in her quest to get answers. 

"Have you been standing there this whole time?" He asked her. "I thought you would've gone to look for Ichiru." 

Yuuki glowered at him. "Since you've said that Ichiru is fine, I figured you're the one at risk being torn to shreds by the Night Class. I don't want that to happen considering I'm one of the school perfects." 

Yagari breathed out through his nose. "What a good kid..." He said, approaching the girl. "But even if you're a good kid, there's nothing you can do... If you really want to see him." 

Yuuki watched with wide eyes as the hunter began to walk away. "He's in the guest room in the Chairman's private quarters." 

Without saying another word, Yuuki ran off to where Ichiru resided.   
  


...   
  


Ichiru stared down at the brunette in front of him. 

The girl looked like she had ran all the way over to his room, even though she shouldn't have been there at all. Yuuki panted lightly, staring up at Ichiru as if he would run away at any given second. Of course, Ichiru figured the girl must've bugged Yagari for his whereabouts. He knows all to well that Zero can hold secrets, being a very secretive person himself. 

"You should go back, Yuuki." Was all he said, closing the door. 

Yuuki grabbed the door before it could shut fully and pulled. "Wait, Ichiru. Why should you stay here? Just because he told you to-" 

Ichiru sighed. "That person was Zero and I's teacher and guardian. Our parents were hardly home... It was around that time I saw my first E-Class vampire. She was a school nurse, an elegant and beautiful lady who was, in truth, an ex-human vampire who escaped from nobles. One day, she turned into a savage vampire right in front of our eyes. Sensei lost his eye protecting me and Zero, all because our-" Ichiru paused and shook his head. "No, _my_ innocent assumption that doctors and nurses are good. 

"When he cut her head off, watching her go crazy, it was the first time I felt the fear of vampires." Ichiru looked at Yuuki solemnly. "What happened with Sensei taught me this, so even if he wanted to kill me..." 

"No..." Yuuki looked down, teary eyed. "That's wrong, you're just giving up on everything... You left me with a weapon to put to use, so don't leave me!" 

Looking up, Yuuki noted how Ichiru avoided her gaze. "W-Why... Why won't you look at me?" 

Yuuki bit the inside of her cheek, walking inside and closing the door behind her. She pulled Ichiru along as she walked towards the bathroom. Yuuki was going to help Ichiru and she knew exactly how to do it. 

"Nobody would find us here," She said, removing her blazer and unbuttoning the first few buttons of her shirt. "Continue what we were doing yesterday."   
  


...   
  


_White light fades into red, dresses dyed in blood, silver is stained and the sound of droplets splattering echo- _**_Do not fall into_** **_temptation_**_ it warns with a harsh whisper. _

Zero felt himself blink out of yet another daze, feeling lost and confused. Shaking his head softly, he looked around his surroundings. He feels sluggish, almost as if the whole world was upon his shoulders and it hurts to even move his head. The elder twin flexed his fingers and stretched his legs, his vision spins-_ the train has changed its tracks, is what this means_ \- and with a gasp, he finds his center. 

_Where...?_ Amethyst eyes scavenge around for something. He sits on the ledge of a fountain, the sound of steadily flowing water is overwhelming and urges Zero to shake his head again. Right, he was patrolling now. The day has long passed and night has graced him with its presence. Everything is at a stand still but it's only temporary. 

Without the presence of his twin, Zero felt odd and his usual dazes had confused him even more. Even though Yuuki had caught his attention for the barest moments to ask of Ichiru's whereabouts, he still wasn't all there. 

_But of course_, a tiny voice giggles. _No one asks about _**_you_**_._

Zero ignores it, standing up from his position. No one needs to ask him how he feels anyways, it would all be pushed aside for someone else of more concern. He wasn't important so there was no need to worry about his wellbeing. 

Besides, there were always more pressing matters to attend to. 

The elder twin looks up to the sky and whispers almost breathily. 

"_Do not fall into temptation_." 

Zero doesn't take notice of the pureblood staring outside the window and down at him.   
  


...   
  


Yuuki pressed herself up against Ichiru's body. 

"There's only one thing I can do..." She said, ignoring the way Ichiru stared incredulously at him. 

"What are you trying to say, Yuuki?" Ichiru demands, not liking the way the brunette is up against him. 

"My blood, Ichiru. Drink my blood to stop your thirst, even if it's temporary." 

Ichiru wants to push her away, tell her to stop this nonsense and get out of his room. He also hopes that if he's unable to stop her, his brother would chose this time to randomly appear and tell Yuuki to stop her nonsensical talking and leave it to him to handle. It's all wishful thinking, not when the beast inside is telling him to take advantage of such a gracious offer. 

None of these scenarios do happen, leaving Ichiru to Yuuki's mercy. 

"Stop it." Ichiru's voice comes out harsh. "I won't be able to forgive myself this way." 

"I know," Yuuki says as if it wasn't the hardest thing to do. "But after a lot of thought, I feel that this is right." 

With that, his control snaps. As he lowers his elongated fangs to Yuuki's delicate neck, he hears his brother's faint voice in a whisper. 

_ **Do not fall into temptation.** _  
  


_Chapter 10: END_   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huh. This chapter also has some interesting developments.  
A glimpse of Zero's seer abilities, which by itself is an interesting process. He gets visions yes, but they are rather both indirect and direct in its messages. Also some Ichiru x Yuuki! Feeding off of someone is definitely intimate... Right? Now, here is a short Q&A (to be honest, anyone can ask questions, I'll probably do a Q&A every chapter if anyone has questions but I digress.)  
Will Zero have any special abilities aside from Bloody Rose and his seer powers? Well, he is definitely more than just Bloody Rose and being psychic. It's actually a matter of whether or not Zero would reveal anything else- he won't bare everything immediately.  
Will Kaname have a taste of Zero's blood? If he ever does, it'll definitely be under Zero's terms.  
Hopefully, that answers something. I like to think I'm being mysterious but it could just be me lying to myself. Next chapter is much more engaging, that much I will give you dear readers.
> 
> Until next update...


	13. Dangerous Waters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A game is a game, whether or not it has come to a sudden stand-still. People are willing to tread dangerous waters if necessary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there.   
It is I, with another update. This chapter is rather interesting in terms of interactions between characters, though some of them get a bit too close for it to not be considered intimate. Also thank you for the get well wishes, I failed to express this in my last update. Short Q&A at the end, feel free to ask questions in the comments. While I might not reply directly, my chapters will contain answers if I am able to answer without spoiling. 
> 
> Do enjoy.

_**Do not fall into temptation.** _

Yuuki could've sworn she heard Zero's voice, the warning hanging over her heavily for a few seconds before her mind became preoccupied by something else. Ichiru was so close that she felt his lips brush against her neck inciting a shiver. Yuuki was so focused on Ichiru that she immediately knew when to brace herself for the pain. She let out a sigh and tilted her head further back with eyes closed, Ichiru's fingers entangling themselves into her hair. The sounds of Ichiru sucking her blood should've bothered her, just like it had haunted her when she discovered Ichiru is a vampire. 

However, in a controlled environment like this, Yuuki didn't know how to feel. 

_Scary... _Yuuki gripped the back of Ichiru's shirt tighter. The memory of that night came to mind, the stranger reaching out to her with malicious intent. _A vampire feeding on me... Is a bit scary. _

After what seemed like an eternity, Ichiru finally pulled away from Yuuki's neck in an almost painful manner. Gently, the younger twin had leaned against the tiled wall, breathing heavily while the brunette perfect watched seemingly unfazed. 

"Ichiru, are you alright?" She asked, staring straight into his eyes. 

The mocking smile she received only cemented her worry even further. "I'm so pathetic..." He laughed. "Even with the want to not hurt someone, I still crave blood. I just can't win. _I give up_." 

Ichiru finally looked at her properly, expression scrunched up in utter defeat. "_Do not fall into temptation_. You heard those words, didn't you? Me drinking your blood was my temptation. The temptation I just fell into. We both know that after one taste, I'd want more. That I'll bite off more than I can chew." 

"So you heard that too..." Yuuki muttered and tilted her head. "You and I know that we have to suppress that monster inside and that blood is the way to do it- even temporarily. But you can't give up now. Those words, in _Zero's_ voice- I heard them too, okay? We'll just have to take them in consideration!" 

Yuuki grabbed Ichiru roughly by the shoulders. "Those words could be our motto, our motivation. You haven't fallen just yet! Even if you hate vampires, even if you end up hating me... Just- just don't ever give up like that..." 

With feather-like touches, Yuuki moved her hands from Ichiru's shoulders to the sides of his face. Tears began to form in her eyes but she wouldn't dare let them fall now. "_Do not fall into temptation._ I'll repeat those words to you over and over again if I have to." 

It fell silent between the two, Yuuki bringing Ichiru into an embrace that he couldn't help but reciprocate. The only other person who had ever comforted him like this was obviously Zero, who could sometimes be insensitive to his feelings as a human-turned-vampire. But Yuuki... He honestly didn't know why she tried just as hard as Zero to drag him out of his self-wallowing. The two sat there for awhile, hugging one another just as Ichiru spoke up once more. 

"You know, I wouldn't say this after such a heart-to-heart conversation but... Aren't you supposed to be patrolling?" 

Yuuki hummed, not really processing what Ichiru said for a few seconds before bolting backwards in shock. "You're right- Ah!" 

From her sudden movement, Yuuki's vision began to spin. Luckily, Ichiru was there to stable her with quick reflex. The brunette perfect blinked, her vision finally settling down on the worried face of Ichiru. 

"Are you alright? Did I take too much?" The younger twin asked, clearly taken aback by what had just happened. 

"N-No. I just moved too fast." She assured him. "I'm fine, I've always been healthy so this won't affect me too much. I'll even be able to go to school tomorrow. Besides, at least you can come to school tomorrow!"

Ichiru sighed, "Sure, whatever. I'll come back to school... Just make sure you wash the blood of yourself. And get to patrolling before Aniki comes to find you here." 

"R-Right..." 

... 

While two people were reconciling somewhere, another wandered aimlessly.

Zero continued to patrol around the campus, much more calmer than he was before. The words of something like a prophecy were now buried deep in the back of his mind, most likely awaiting the time to make an appearance once more. He hummed softly, a breeze prickling against his skin almost chillingly. While Zero was walking, he was hoping to bump into a certain someone before said person went on to bump into someone else. 

_Speak of the devil and ye shall appear_, Zero thought as he spotted an approaching figure in the distance. 

There walking in his direction was the very pureblood he had been looking for. Kaname Kuran had always walked with purpose but this time, he seemed a bit tense and solemn as if he was about to confirm something unpleasant. Zero didn't even bother to hold pretenses and slipped into a different mindset. The two had stopped in front of each other, staring at each other for a few seconds before Zero spoke up. 

"What an evening, isn't it, my King?" Zero tilted his head. "What brings you in this direction?" 

Kaname only hummed. "I am merely on a walk. Am I in trouble?" 

Zero smiled. "No, no. How could I, a useless pawn, tell you right from wrong? Of course, I have my own agenda with you." 

The perfect stepped closer, entering the pureblood's personal space. Zero stared up into Kaname's very sad eyes, sensing the curiosity coming from them in subtle waves. What Zero did next, however, turned that curiosity into slight surprise. The elder Kiryuu raised a hand, settling it on the side of the other's face and leaned even closer. Zero had sniffed almost inaudibly and if it wasn't for his advanced hearing, Kaname wouldn't have even heard it. 

Zero leaned back, a mischievous smile on his lips. "It wasn't you, after all." 

Kaname stared at him. "Are you suggesting something, Zero?" 

The perfect laughed, resting his head against the pureblood's stiff shoulder. "I wouldn't dare, my King! It seems like someone fell into temptation is all. Your control is, dare I say, almost unbreakable. Surely you haven't had a little sip or two?" 

The pureblood narrowed his eyes at him, not amused as he was and Zero knew when to back off.

"Mm, maybe it might just be me. Who knows?" Zero stepped out of Kaname's personal space, clasping his hands behind him. "You should watch for collars, the Queen might've... Ah, spilled some of her precious wine. But you have already suspected that, no?" 

Silence settled between the pair before Kaname let a small smile on his face. "Only you would settle on a roundabout way of the obvious. One day, I will figure out the puzzle that is you." 

Zero's eyes twinkled. "I look forward to that, my King. But I must be on my way..." 

Zero walked away from Kaname, feeling much lighter than before. Now, it's only a matter of time before everything begins to speed up and the truth is let out. 

** _After all, two people have committed a forbidden act that only cements the future. _ **

... 

After his encounter with Zero, Kaname already knew what would happen.

He knew that on his walk, he'll encounter the brunette perfect sooner or later. That Yuuki would lie straight to his face, fearing that the pureblood would discover she had done something so sinful with another. And to Kaname, that was fine. It had changed nothing in his plans for the future. His encounter with the elder Kiryuu was unexpected and had only confirmed what he had already known, but it was nothing out of the ordinary.

Although Zero's words were a roundabout way, Kaname appreciated the confirmation. Even if it had hurt him just the slightest bit. 

When Kaname stepped in front of Yuuki, he could already see how tense she was at his figure. Doe eyes opened wide, heart beat picking up just the slightest as her body went rigid. All signs that she was ready to _lie_ straight to his face.

"Yuuki..." He called out softly. "Where do you intend to go?" 

The girl shuddered, glancing downward. "Um, to the Night Section's class." 

"It has already ended. Everyone has now returned to the dorm." Kaname tilted his head. "Should I tell Chairman Cross that you are outside without reason?" 

"No..." Yuuki refused to meet his gaze. 

Typical. Especially when she was so prepared to deny all signs. "Is that so?" He asked, stepping closer to the brunette. Kaname reached out and grasped a few strands of Yuuki's hair, letting his fingers slide against the soft strands. Near the ends, it was damp and cold, most likely from a shower and the night breeze. 

"The ends are wet, did you wash it?" The question had Yuuki snapping her head up in an almost desperate manner. 

Kaname ignored the painful clench of his heart as he could almost hear the girl's thoughts. _Please don't notice. Please don't find Ichiru's mark..._ This shouldn't have hurt as much as it did. The pureblood noticed the band-aid and reached out a hand to go around Yuuki's neck... 

Only to pull the brunette close to him in a warm embrace. 

This clearly startled Yuuki as she wasn't expecting him to do that. Kaname felt his heart settle just the tiniest bit with Yuuki in his embrace. Now calm, he began to speak to her in that soft tone he'd always use when in her presence. 

"Since when do you not talk to me anymore? Ten years and only this part of you has changed..." He said, feeling Yuuki calm down just a bit.

They embraced for a few moments, allowing Kaname to bask in the feeling that was uniquely _Yuuki_. But alas, such an embrace cannot last long as Kaname then put some space between them. He patted her shoulder affectionately, letting her know that she could leave. 

"Good night, Yuuki." Is all he says. 

She replies in kind but Kaname knows what she's thinking as she walks away. I don't regret what I did, he could almost hear her voice. There is a possibility her heart hurts for him but he wouldn't know. Not when Yuuki has become so distant...

"A pureblood vampire hugging a human girl so warmly." Yagari's voice cuts like a knife as he watches his girl walk away. "I don't know why you're breaking tradition to favor that girl, especially when you know what she just did. After all, the evidence is still there." 

Kaname feels mild irritation building up at the senior hunter's founded accusation. As if he wouldn't notice, but it was none of the hunter's business. 

"Never mind, don't want to want for an honest answer for too long. What is your motive? Why haven't you driven Ichiru into a corner?"

All founded questioning, _however_... Yagari doesn't flinch when a sharp wind cuts his hand holding his cigarette. Kaname does this all for Yuuki and thus, decides to humor the hunter with an answer as he walks away.

"So that I won't lose her, of course." 

... 

Ichiru sat on the floor, eyes never meeting the senior hunter in front of him. 

"Why are all the windows covered up?" Yagari asks, opening the curtain and letting sunlight in. He doesn't answer and instead flinches at the intrusion of light. Ichiru is caught off guard by his sensei's next question. 

"How is that shoulder of yours, hm?" 

Ichiru doesn't say anything, watching his former sensei's figure warily. He should've known that somebody would've noticed. His silence is loud and clear, Yagari has his answer and he's ready to take action in response. 

"That gun was made to deal with vampires. Even vampires with high recovery speeds cannot heal so fast... Unless he drinks fresh blood." 

**Click**

The barrel of the gun pointed at him is suddenly horrifying. 

... 

Yuuki felt a chill run down her spine as she looked for the missing Kiryuu twin. 

_He's not here... Did he not want to come?_ Something in her screams that something is wrong. After all, Ichiru had promised her... Right then and there, fear washed over her as a bad feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. Yuuki immediately jumped up, startling her fellow classmates and stopping the teacher's lecture. 

_Something's wrong. _Yuuki thinks as she turns to run out of the classroom.

"Cross! Where are you going?!" 

"I'll go get her, sensei." Zero says, his voice now faint to Yuuki's straining ears. 

_Get me?_ She thinks, running down the hallway full speed. _Forget getting me, Zero! How can you not even notice this?! Leaving Ichiru alone... I'm so stupid!_

**SLAM! **

Yuuki was greeted to the scene of Yagari, arm outstretched and gun in hand. The silver gun pointing right at Ichiru's forehead in close range. Ichiru just stood there as if he wasn't about to get shot and die, almost as if he was frozen and willing to accept his fate. It was as if everything slowed down, Yagari's finger slowly pulling before Yuuki could even process it. 

"NO! ICHIRU!" 

**Bang! Bang! **

"Huh..." She heard Yagari hum. "Wouldn't it have been better if you were killed by me?"

Yuuki stared wide eyed was Ichiru held up the gun, a clear sign that he avoided an early death. Yagari shook off Ichiru's hand on the gun, putting it back into its holster. 

"Have you forgotten?" He asked, looking down at Ichiru. "I won't let you regret losing your right eye to save me.' That was the oath you made to me and seeing you like this just makes me want to kill you. In doing so, it will make me feel more comfortable. Maybe somewhat happy." 

Ichiru looked up at Yagari and met eyes as Yagari continued to talk.

"While you can still fight and struggle to your hearts' content, this life you have chosen is only going to be filled with fresh blood."

Yagari turned, walking towards his suitcase and the doorway. "Don't run away, Ichiru." 

The hunter then turned to Yuuki who had been standing there. "Hey, little girl!" 

Yuuki startled, looking at the senior hunter incredibly. "L-Little girl...? What is it?" 

"Once this guy breaks down, you must stop him. His crooked arm is due to his injury, just sew up that wound and he'll be alright." Yagari picked up his suitcase, lowly remarking on its heaviness. "From now on, it's up to you." 

The brunette stared, confusion written on her face. "So that attack by the pond...?" 

"If I wanted to kill him, I would've. Missing at such a distance? You're joking." Yagari clicked his tongue, finding himself unable to lift up the suitcase. "Damn, I'll just send for this suitcase another time. I'm a busy man and there's work for me to do." 

Yuuki could only stand confused. "H-Huh?" 

"Goodbye, I want to see you better at our next meeting." The hunter bid as he left the pair alone. 

... 

Zero walked down the corridor, taking his sweet time.

He knew that by now, all that drama would be said and done. It would be a rather brief encounter, after all. He hummed softly as he spotted Yagari walking towards him. They came to a stop when their paths intersected and had different reactions towards one another. While Zero had greeted him with a smile, Yagari only narrowed his single eye in what appeared to be suspicion. 

"I'm surprised you're here taking your sweet time." Yagari remarked, letting out a puff of smoke. "If I were serious, your brother would've been dead but you knew that already, didn't you?" 

Zero tilted his head. "I know many things, Yagari-sensei. That was only one of them." 

Yagari glared at him. "Your brunette friend practically bolted over there. Though, I'd put more faith on her saving Ichiru than with you." 

"... You never fail to put it so bluntly." Zero laughed. "I do wonder what I've done to garner such suspicion." 

"Maybe it has to do with how you're still alive." Yagari said, looking out the window. "Alive and somehow healthy, never ill despite your circumstances. If the roles were reversed, Ichiru would've been sick to the point of being bedridden." 

Zero hummed. "I can neither confirm or tell you anything about that..." 

Yagari huffed. "Always mysterious... I suppose you would watch over those two?"

"_Always_, Yagari-sensei." 

_ Chapter 11: END  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you readers enjoy today's chapter? I would hope so.   
The mystery that is Zero continues to grow, but it's only a matter of time before everything is revealed. So, interactions between Zero/Kaname and Yuuki/Ichiru. Hopefully that is up to romantic interaction standards. I wouldn't know, I have zero experience with romance. Now, onto the short Q&A:   
Who would be Zero's Knight? While it is a good question, I'm afraid I couldn't give you a straight answer. Zero's the wild card here, so it really isn't clear whether or not he'll require one.  
Remember, any questions can be asked in the comments, so do leave one if you have questions. 
> 
> Until next update...


	14. Unwanted Visitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some people are just entirely unwelcomed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise update.   
I'm feeling a bit generous and am updating for a second day in a row. One of the comments interested me, mostly because I was able to invoke an emotion. Cue dramatic gasp. An emotion. While that may seem like nothing noteworthy, it was to me. Considering that I honestly hadn't expected someone to get mad. I could explain Yagari's reasoning more in depth but on a surface level if that would suffice? But I digress. 
> 
> Do enjoy.

\-- Cross Academy's Night Section Moon Dorms --

Knuckles knocked softly against wood, the sound echoing through the corridor. 

Ichijo Takuma stood in front of the double doors of Kaname's room, face set in a solemn expression as he called out for the pureblood. He received silence in response, deciding to open the door as to not spend the day waiting. Kaname laid on the sofa in the dark room, one hand ruffling and running his fingers through his hair while the other laid limp off the sofa's edge. The pureblood seemed to be in a daze, never showing any acknowledgement of Ichijo's entrance as light flooded into his room. 

"I knew you'd be up thinking about something," Ichijo said with a soft smile. "You should get some sleep, okay? Good night." 

The pureblood remained silent, staring up at the ceiling as Ichijo left and closed the doors behind him. 

Ichijo walked down the corridor, deep in thought about Kaname's current situation. _There's nothing surprising about Kaname being in a daze but..._ Ichijo sighed. _I think something must've happened last night. I'd better not probe or the consequences may be punishing. More importantly, he won't like it... _

"Ichijo-sama, you are still up?" 

The voice of the maid interrupted the blond vampire's thoughts. Ichijo looked up and saw the maid with two cloaked figures behind her. In one of her hands was a large stack of books while in the other was a tray with a clipboard and a pen on it. 

"I've found the books you requested." She told him. "Should I bring them to your room?" 

"Yes.. Sorry to trouble you." Ichijo said as he approached the maid. "Thank you for your help, I actually came looking for this magazine..." 

As he took the magazine from the large stack of books, the maid spoke up once again. 

"Kuran-sama has..." 

Ichijo blinked, turning his attention to the tray. "Is that for Kaname?" 

"Yes, it is. A guest with an appointment sent a permit application. It seems to be urgent..." 

"Kaname is busy at the moment, I'll sign it instead." Ichijo told her, taking the pen and clipboard off the tray. The pen cap remained in his mouth as he signed the paper without reading it, only to spot a very, very familiar name... The pen cap fell out of his mouth and to the floor. 

"This... It can't be. How can that person personally come here?" Ichijo asked, an expression of absolute dread on his face. 

"I'm not lying," the maid said. "Do you want to call to make sure?" 

She didn't receive a reply as the blond aristocrat went sprinting down the hall, banging on every door he could. This was absolute bad and all the students should be aware of it, immediately! Ichijo kicked open the last door where Akatsuki Kain and Hanabusa Aidou resided in. 

"Bad news! Grandpa's coming tonight!" Ichijo cried out, standing at the doorway out of breath. 

Akatsuki Kain glanced over his shoulders at the huffing vampire with a towel around his neck while Hanabusa Aidou laid on the bed with a manga book open on his head. Aidou looked at Ichijo with half-lidded eyes, clearly not amused by the other's antics. 

"Ichijo, are you even a vampire? So energetic in the morning..." Aidou buried his face into his pillow. "You remind me of the vampires in the mangas, you'll probably turn ashes in the sunlight..." 

Right then, the curtains pulled back and let in the spoken sunlight, Ichijo pushing his upper body and face against the window pain in clear distraught. "I'd be very willing to turn into ashes if I could..." 

"Do you want to die?!" Aidou screamed, bolting up right at the sudden brightness.

Kain leaned his head on the palm of his hand. "The person that even Ichijo is so afraid of... It could only be _that_ person." 

Ichijo visibly shuddered. "Yes... The Ichijo enterprise is a business so experienced in handling the outside world to the point there's no imaginable aspect of commerce that its not involved in. Even in amongst vampires, he's a force to be reckoned with... Ichijo Asato, _Ichiou_ as he's called. In the council of ancients, he continues to be one of our most senior vampires." 

Ruka leaned against the doorway. "I'm afraid that's not all. The council of ancients is the highest body in command of our world. It is, however, not our sovereign." 

"No..." Ichijo shook his head. "Just leave it at that..." 

_I don't want to disturb our dorm's little bit of peace, even if it's for Kaname's sake..._

... 

Night time approached fairly quickly. 

The entire Night Class stood in the dorm's lobby, everyone dressed and poised elegantly as they awaited their guest. Ruka stared at the ever stoic Akatsuki Kain, a hand raised to her mouth as she giggled at her sudden thought. 

"If even you have to show respect and come to welcome him, it must be a very frightening grandpa." 

Kain glanced at Ruka. "He's at least ten times more powerful than us. That's why everyone of us have stopped class to gather here." 

"I don't want to admit it..." Toya Rima huffed.

Shiki Senri sighed, clasping his hands behind his head. "I'm also afraid, Rima. But... Compared to Kuran-sama, I wonder which guy is more frightening..." 

Aidou crossed his arms. "That has yet to be seen."

"Kaname!"

Ichijo followed the pureblood as they walked down the stairs. "You don't have to personally come out here since he's only here to have a few words with me." 

Kaname ignored Ichijo's rambling. "I haven't seen Ichiou in a long time, I just wanted to come and greet him." He glanced at Ichijo. "Can't I?" 

"It's not that you can't..."

**SLAM!**

The doors flew open, a figure stood there at the entrance with a long flowing hoodless cape. There outfit was fully black, sophisticated and Victorian-esque. Absinthe eyes narrowed as if to glare at any who came into his field of vision. Ichijo 'Ichiou' Asato observed the large gathering with harsh, cold eyes. 

"Look at this..."

**A vampire who has lived through countless years... **

"I'm grateful for such a lively welcome but I only came to visit my adorable grandson." The sentence did nothing to appease the students. "So there's no need for everyone to be so overcautious."

**To the people in front of him, his vision, his flavor of life... Are undoubtedly equated to poison. **

"Kuran-sama," Ichiou began, eyes looking greedily upon Kaname's vision. "As expected, purebloods are different from nobles... Even if your whole body is stained with blood, you'll remain untainted. Just like the everlasting fragrance of flowers..." 

Ichiou took Kaname's hand in his, leaning down as if to place a kiss upon the unblemished skin. "This overflowing youth, strength and beauty... I earnestly hope that one day I'll be able to share in your incomparable blood..."

"Kaname-sama!" Ruka gasped, pulling away Kaname's hand while Aidou snatched Ichiou's wrist. 

Both vampires remained unfazed by what had happened, the rest of the Night Class watching the scene with careful eyes. The mood became tense, Ichiou straightened his back with his eyes trained on Kaname as if the pureblood would disappear if he were to look away.

"I'm sorry Kaname-sama, but..." Ruka looked at Ichiou with distrust, tightly gripping the pureblood's arm. 

"Your joke has gone too far," Aidou scowled, clearly not pleased with the elder Ichijo. 

"Souen's daughter and Hanabusa's son, is it?" Ichijo asked, letting his unnerving eyes land onto Aidou. 

Kain approached Ruka and gently pulled her away from Kaname's arm. "Don't be like this. Let go of him, Ruka."

"Don't you know that drawing blood from a pureblood is a vampire's greatest taboo?!" 

Ichijo grabbed Aidou by the shoulder, "Aidou..." He said in warning. 

"I'm afraid to you, I'd..." 

_SMACK! _

"You forgot to keep your cool..." Kaname whispered in a show of dominance. 

Kaname turned to Ichiou as the man began to speak. 

"It's because of Kaname-sama's presence here, I was able to leave my grandson here without any worries..." 

Ichiou kneeled on one leg, grasping Kaname's hand once more in his palm. He placed a chaste kiss on the back of his hand. 

_"My lord." _

... 

Kaname laid on his sofa, reading the contents of the paper in his hand.

"Ruka..." He called out. "If I just ignore you like this, how long will you linger there?" 

_Creak... _

"Kaname-sama..." Ruka responded softly, entering the room and closing the door behind her. She looked downward, appearing to be a child about to be scolded. "I've not gotten any scolding..." 

The pureblood closed his eyes and lowered his hand, a soft sigh escaping him. "You want to be scolded? What a strange girl..." 

"What a gentle person you are, Kaname-sama..." Ruka bit her lip. "In front of Ichiou, you were actually helping Aidou, right?"

Kaname went back to reading his paper. "But in the end, it still turned out like that..." 

"Recently, you seem down for some reason..." Ruka said casually, approaching Kaname. She bent down to pick up one of the many papers resting on the floor, handing it to the pureblood and receiving a thanks. 

Ruka sat on the edge of the couch, leaning over Kaname with a hand to her neck. She pushed her nails hard enough to break skin, blood flowing from the newly made wound. Blood dripped on Kaname's cheek, who only remained still. 

"Kaname-sama... If even a little of my blood can serve as your food... I..." 

The aristocrat flinched, eyes closing on instinct when Kaname's hand caressed the side of her face gently. 

"That's enough, Ruka." With his free hand, he rubbed the blood off of his face. "Also, you don't need to worry, I'm fine." 

"Okay..." 

... 

Ruka walked out of Kaname's room, gaze held downward. 

"Hey." 

The vampire looked up to find Kain leaning up against the wall with his arms crossed. She knew the other vampire could see her dejected face, a trail of blood running down the side of her neck and down her exposed collar bones. 

"What is it?" 

"Nothing..." Kain responded, looking elsewhere as Ruka approached him.

"Nothing? I already know that Kaname-sama would refuse to drink my blood." She placed a hand on her face to block the blush rising on her face. "It's just wishful thinking but..."

Kain just watched as Ruka leaned forward and gripped his shirt, hunched over as she continued to rant. "Kaname-sama had wanted my blood when I first came to the academy but it's the only time since then..." 

"Looks like it's true then." Kain let an arm curl around Ruka's figure as she pressed her head against his chest. "When creatures like us drink another of our kind's blood, we'll develop feelings. Even if it's only a little bit to that person, your blood isn't enough." 

Ruka exhaled shakily. "Even though I love him so much... Even if it's the past or present, in Kaname-sama's eyes, I'm just a fool who can't understand his thinking." 

... 

"Takuma." 

"Yes grandpa?" 

Ichijo Takuma watched the back of his grandfather's still figure in front of the Night Dorm's entrance. The elder vampire was just about to leave, a great weight soon to be lifted off of Ichijo's shoulders. But he knew the man wouldn't leave without one last thing to say. 

"You seem to enjoy a lot of Kaname's trust." Ichiou didn't even wait for an answer. "Continue to wait upon him and keep an eye on his movements. I let you stay at this academy for this reason only." 

Ichijo stared, stony faced at what his grandfather was telling him. "Grandpa, you don't understand." He told him, letting a smile settle on his face. "I wont do anything to harm my friend."

Ichiou glared at the other blond, not at all pleased by Ichijo's admission. The younger vampire felt dread wash over him, struggling to keep the smile on his face. 

"P-Please don't glare at me."

"No..." Ichiou ignored the comment. "The one who doesn't understand is you. In this narrow world of the school, a friendship built in the basis of hypocritical peace..." 

"Cross Academy is a peaceful place!" Interrupted a female's voice. 

Ichijo blinked before gaping in shock at the brunette in front of the open entrance. "Yuki-chan?!" 

"So please, make a contribution this time too... Was what Chairman Cross said. Ichijo-senpai's grandpa, right?" Yuuki smoothed her hair down as the stoic man glanced at her. 

"I'll definitely question Chairman Cross on this. Is it true that an active duty vampire hunter came to school grounds some time ago?" 

Yuuki gulped, unsure on how to answer this. 

"Actually," pipped in another voice. "Chairman Cross had wanted to clarify this matter with you." 

All eyes turned the newcomer. There stood Zero with his hands clasped behind him, eyes twinkling with that ever present smile on his face. Behind him was an eerily silent Ichiru, staring at the scene with an icy gaze. 

"Zero..." Yuuki gasped, looking at Ichiru. "Ichiru, is it alright for you to come out?" 

Ichiou let his gaze land on the twins. "Another thick-skinned man, Cross is..." Ichiou walked out, passing by the twins who followed him with their eyes. "Forget it. Lead on, I'll find myself out." 

With one glance back at the twins, they began to move. 

"Zero, Ichiru, I'll go too!" 

"Wait, Yuuki-chan!" A hand gripped Yuuki's arm before she could leave. The brunette looked at Ichijo with a questioning gaze. 

"Did anything happen between you and Kaname?" 

Yuuki blinked. "Nothing happened, why do you ask?" 

"Nothing much really. Just that Kaname doesn't confide in me with his worries. I thought that if its Yuuki, you'd know something about it." Ichijo explained, looking a bit dejected. 

The brunette perfect looked downward. "That... I didn't even know that Kaname-senpai was a pureblood, so I really don't anything at all."

"But, weren't you close to Kaname before?" The question struck something within her. "You probably know the Kaname that we don't, right?" 

_ Chapter 12: END _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oho, a Night Class centered chapter.   
I should note that near the 15th chapter of this story is when things start to stray from original plot. Let's just say someone's arrival sets the real game in motion. Any questions can be answered in the comments, I'll do my best to answer them in the next update in the end notes. On another note, I would like to thank those actually taking the time to read my story. I honestly don't know where I'm going with it but vague ideas get me very far.
> 
> Until next update...


	15. From The Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Memories are always there, lingering in the back of our minds until it demands to resurface.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update.   
Today has been off. I was late, I have a headache (still), I have a deadline to meet on Friday with no type of work done, and I was mad at the whole world which is great. But other than that, I am glad to be updating this story even if life is tearing me down. I am looking forward to posting the chapters in which the real drama starts- my mind is swirling with ideas and plot twists. Oh, can you sense my excitement? But I'm digressing- let's get this chapter started. 
> 
> Do enjoy.

**A memory from the beginning that cannot be erased... **

"Can I drink your blood?" 

Her body froze, eyes wide with fear as she trembled in place. _No... No... **NO- **_

**SPLAT! **

"Is everything all right?" Her savior asked, long locks of hair flowing in the wind as he licked some of the blood staining his fingers. 

The little girl stared at him, the warm blood that splattered on her face was quickly beginning to cool as snow fell around them. She immediately became curious about the strange liquid that rested on her face and reached out a hand to touch it. It was slimy, an extremely unpleasant feeling that made her even more curious as to what it might be. She watched it stain her glove, leaning close to sniff it. 

A much larger hand gently moved it away from her nose before she could try anything else. "Don't touch that." 

He stared down at her, not at all bothered by the blood that covered him. "I said, why are you here alone in this type of place?" 

Her savior helped her up and kept his hand tight on hers. "Come here. I'm Kaname, and you are?" 

She said nothing, committing the name to one of her first memories as she began to tremble. Kaname, her savior, noticed it as she tightened her once loose grip on his fingers. Burning tears began to prickle in her eyes as the fear finally consumed her.

**My memory began on that snowy day, ten years ago. The pure white snow and the red blood mixed together with the terror... **

"Huu..." 

The teen knelt in front of her, gently pulling her into an embrace that was so comforting and warm. She let the tears begin to fall, listening to his soft words. 

"You're afraid, right? It's okay now... It's alright..." 

**That memory of being hugged so warmly...**

... 

_BANG! _

Doe eyes watched the figure in front of them shooting at the target. 

_BANG! BANG! BANG! _

Watching Zero shoot at the paper target with such precision was always such an amazing thing to see, even if she had to stand there with her fingers plugged in her ears to avoid flinching at the loud noise. The three perfects stood in the shooting range, two of which were on the sidelines, watching the elder Kiryuu twin doing target practice. 

"You know," Zero spoke up, looking over his shoulder at the two with a lopsided smile. "It's one thing to have Ichiru here but seeing little Hime here is another. Feeling a bit curious today?" 

Yuuki bristled. "I'm just looking. I can, can't I?"

"Mm. Never said you couldn't." Zero turned his eyes to Ichiru. "However, I don't think it's me you're wanting to look at." 

"E-Er..." Yuuki sighed. "Well, I just wanted to accompany Ichiru and make sure he was truly alright as not both of us can always keep an eye on him..." 

Ichiru's eyebrow twitched. "Good luck at your job then, guardian." 

Zero snickered and continued to shoot at the target. Each shot hitting the paper target in a straight line. Yuuki stared in awe, completely missing Ichiru's watchful gaze. The brunette was lost in thought, wondering what this creeping feeling was.

"You should remove that bandage around your neck, Yuuki." Ichiru's voice startled her under the loud gunshots. "It's very noticeable." 

The brunette sighed but made no movement to remove her fingers from her ears. "It's necessary. You saw how Aidou-senpai easily removed Zero's band-aid. If anyone saw your bitemark on me, it'll only gain me the same attention..." 

Ichiru rolled his eyes, "But if you were bitten by someone else... It wouldn't be a problem then, now would it? You're probably wishing for your precious Kaname-senpai to drink your blood, right?" 

"E-Eh?" Yuuki turned her head to Ichiru who stared straight ahead. Unconsciously, she removed her fingers as Zero came to a stop.

"You've always liked Kaname-senpai. In your blood, I understand what it tastes like..." 

Yuuki flushed, not at all liking Ichiru's implications. "You... What are you saying?! You know I hate being spied on the most!" 

The brunette girl left the shooting range as Zero lowered Bloody Rose, letting his arm hang limply at his side. Yuuki's thoughts were running wild as she ran as far as she could from the shooting range. She couldn't believe Ichiru could say something like that! _This sort of thing... I don't want anyone's comments._

_What exactly is Kaname-senpai to me... I am the one who is the most clear about it. _

... 

[ Ten Years Ago ]

"I understand that you want her to be taken care of, Kaname-kun." Kaien handed the little girl a plate of pudding. "You're the son left behind by the person I am indebted to..." 

The girl stared at the strange thing on the plate. It was jiggly and wiggled side to side with every subtle movement. She didn't know what to do with it, ignoring the stare from her savior beside her. She lifted the plate close to her nose and took a couple of sniffs, finding the smell alright. 

Kaien stared at the scene with an awkward smile. "It seems like she doesn't know that pudding can be eaten." 

"Yeah..." Kaname watched as the girl poked the pudding. "Her memories seem to have disappeared completely." 

The pureblood took the plate from her hands, picking up the spoon and scooping up a bit for the girl to eat. Kaname held the spoon to her mouth. 

"Use the spoon to eat it, say ah." Kaname opened his mouth in imitation of what she should do.

However, instead of getting the desired reaction, she shudders and seemed frozen in place. Seemed entranced by something, this something behind on Kaname's person. 

"What's wrong? Open up..." 

The girl reached out a hand, letting her fingertips pull down his bottom lip. Her eyes stayed trained on his fangs as he allowed her to touch them, hoping to sate her curiosity. Upon contact, the girl was reminded of the strange man who wanted to do her harm and a bloodcurdling scream escaped her. 

In an instant, she was a good distance away from Kaname with eyes wide and never straying from the pureblood. Kaname looked at her with a blank face but his eyes betrayed all his emotions. He was hurt. 

"Chairman Cross, I think I should leave. I'm going back." He said, standing up. 

"Back to that place?" Kaien tilted his head. "It wasn't easy for you to leave. Ever since your parents died, that place has become like a wolf's den that tries to make use of you." 

"Still, I should go back..." 

Kaname gave one last look at the girl, almost as if committing her appearance to memory. He left without another word. The little girl watched with an odd expression on her face. Kaien approached girl and patted her head softly. 

"That guy once told me that 'All girls are born princesses'. So from now on, you're my gentle princess... So you're name will be Yuuki, that means 'Gentle Princess', is that okay?" 

The girl, now-named Yuuki, blinked slowly. 

... 

Tiny hands lifted up the strange material hanging from them. 

"Yuuki, that's for your feet!" Kaien told her as he leaned against the doorway. 

Chocolate eyes blinked, glancing once at him before turning their attention back to the thing called a 'sock'. Why did she have to put them on her feet? Kaien watched the scene with a soft sigh. 

"It's been a week but still you have yet to say a word..." 

_ **SLAM! ** _

There stood Kaname, panting slightly with a panicked look on his face. It looked as if the pureblood had ran all the way over there, Kaien only turned to Kaname casually. 

"Good evening, Kaname-kun. Why the sudden arrival?"

Kaname blinked in a way much similar to Yuuki's, making Kaien smile. 

"... Didn't you send a telegram saying that vampires who are tracking her attacked this place?" It all dawned onto Kaname, the pureblood becoming annoyed as his nails scratched against the door. "Even though I was skeptical, I ran away from my watchers and hurried over here... So you are lying, huh..." 

Kaien could only snicker as the pureblood looked away in embarrassment. 

"I won't ever believe you again.."

Before Kaien can give a reply, he turned his head and let out a high pitched squeal. He pointed in the doorway with a quivering finger, looking fixated at something. 

"Kaname-kun, Kaname-kun! Look something happened!" 

Immediately, Kaname looked through the doorway. "What happened?!" 

"Yuuki put on her clothes by herself!" Kaien said, laughing. "Even though it's on wrong, she still did it!" 

Upon hearing her newly given name, Yuuki turned to the doorway, blinking once before she lifted the towel over her figure. The towel, however, was short and revealed her little bottom and legs as she attempted to hide. The scene was utterly and absolutely adorable, even the tiniest bit of hilarious. 

Kaname leaned heavily against the doorway, sliding down as his body shook uncontrollably. 

"Eh?! Kaname...?" Kaien blinked as Kaname let out loud rounds of hard laughter, hand slamming against the wall. Kaien began to panic. 

"W-What should I do?! Kaname-kun is broken!" 

The pureblood had never laughed so hard in his life, his stomach and face hurting so much and he was sure that his face was a bit red. He was beginning to calm down, feeling a bit lightheaded from all that laughing.

Kaname wiped the tears from his face, looking straight at the girl who stared at him. "S-Sorry if I scared you... I'll leave now." 

He stood up and began to walk away, giving her one last look. "Bye bye..." 

Before he could go even further, Kaname felt something tug on the back of his jacket. He turned around and spotted Yuuki with tiny fingers twisting the fabric in a firm grip. She smiled sweetly, opening her mouth to say her first words since her arrival. 

"Kaname...?" She tilted her head. "Kaname." 

**The smooth and the gentle time before the storm...**

"Yuuki!" Kaien called out, "It's cold out there, come wait inside." 

The brunette girl, older than before, looked around for a certain someone, ignoring the older man's call. She stood in an outfit of pure white, the only splash of color being the warm chocolate color of her eyes and hair. Her ears caught the sound of snow crunching and she whipped around and spotted Kaname. 

Yuuki brightened up and ran to the pureblood, enveloping him in a hug. "Kaname-sama!" 

Blinking owlishly, Kaname looked down at the girl in his arms. "Kaname... sama?" 

The girl ignored his shocked look and went to babble. "Today is my birthday and it's been a year since the day Kaname-sama saved me!" 

Kaname turned to Kaien with a deadpanned look. "You told me that Yuuki had been kidnapped so I rushed over... Haven't you had enough? Can't you call me normally? Don't you think so, Chairman Cross? And what is with this, 'sama' 'sama?" 

The Chairman flinched but said nothing. 

"So today... Congratulations, Kaname-sama!" Yuuki tilted her head. "Right?" 

Kaname smiled. "No, that's wrong Yuuki. It's congratulations to you." He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "But, thank you..." 

**I gradually began to understand a lot of things...**

"Kaname-sama is a vampire, right?" 

Kaien hummed. "Yes. The existence of vampires haven't been approved of by the government. So Yuuki, you must keep it a secret." 

"Even though it's a secret, Kaname-sama still let me touch his fangs..." Yuuki sighed, looking down at the book in her hands. "Kaname-sama isn't like those other bad vampires, right? He's completely different, isn't he?" 

"Has Kaname-kun ever done anything to you that you don't like?" Kaien lifted up the two cups and turned to Yuuki. "Actually, there are vampires that live peacefully with humans."

Yuuki smiled, her mind feeling at peace at the man's words. "Yeah." 

**Every year's birthday, every special day of the season, I was allowed meetings limited to these days. Being able to meet with him was more fun than anything.**

"He should be passing by this place on the way to the house..." Yuuki looked around for the pureblood in the town. She looked forward as her heart began to pound. 

_Why do I feel such unease walking down the street on my own? _

_Ba-thump_

_I'm over eleven years old today so I have to be brave._

**Ba-thump**

_They all told me that it's not possible to encounter a vampire attack on this street. _

** _Ba-thump_ **

_Did Kaname-sama not come? It's getting dark..._ Yuuki's eyes settled on a figure walking in all black leather. They walked so casually yet there was something off about them.

_However Yuuki_, a voice reminded her. _There are some vampires mingled with humans in the street._

Yuuki froze in place as the figure took off their shades. But before the person can do anything, they spotted something behind her. They immediately settled into a bow, putting on their shades and walking away. Yuuki turned around and spotted the person she was looking for. 

"Yuuki." Kaname smiled so warmly at her, quickly easing her previous worries. 

"Kaname-sama!" The girl hugged the pureblood, happy to have finally met the person she wanted to see the most.

"Aren't you afraid of walking alone on the streets?" He asked her. 

"As long as Kaname-sama is here, I won't be scared!" Her face was so trusting and innocent, Kaname rubbed her head affectionately. 

"Me too." Yuuki's expression was pleased, snuggling close to the pureblood, feeling nothing but safety and warmth in the embrace. 

**All these years was when I was still ignorant until that time came. **

"Yuuki! Sorry, I'm late." Kaien stood in between two mirror images with hands on their backs, one smiling so serenely yet the other glared in utter hatred at the floor. 

"This is Zero and Ichiru Kiryuu, their family was killed by bad vampires."

**I started being drawn in by the blood drenched sight. Slowly but surely being drawn in...**

_ Chapter 13: END _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A series of flashbacks, what joy.  
The next chapter follows this format and we get to see more of Ichiru and Zero, Zero playing a much mischievous role in Yuuki's memories. I do wish to hear everyone's opinions, after all, I need to know if my story's interesting right? Speaking of which, after this is finished, would anyone prefer another fanfiction (different fandom, maybe a crossover?) or a sequel/prequel to this? Playing with the ideas of Zero's development in more depth sounds terribly, terribly interesting. Ah, I am always thinking ahead when it comes to my writing. Any questions can be written in the comments and answers will be provided within the next update- that is, if I can answer without spoiling anything.   
Expect an update soon or maybe within the next few days. 
> 
> Until next update...


	16. Play in Future's Present

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Looking back at those memories, one should've known what to expect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An update.  
While I am currently berating myself for past mistakes for my current predicament, I am proud to present an update after... Six days since the last? But enough about my personal life- this chapter almost surpassed Chapter nine's amount of words but fell short. The next chapter has a less amount of words though. I shall try to do more for this fanfiction. Further notes/notices at the end. 
> 
> Do enjoy.

Yuuki stood in front of the Chairman's bathroom. 

Kaien stood behind her sleepily, hugging one of his stuffed toys while letting the other hand limply by its arm. "Ichiru is using the bathroom... Why don't you use the one for guests?" 

The brunette smiled. "I'll wait for him to come out. I have something to talk to him about anyways."

Kaien hummed and left Yuuki. 

Yuuki listened to the water falling in the shower, sitting on the couch just outside the door. She let herself fall sideways, her head resting on the pillow. Yuuki closed her eyes as she recalled Ichiru's words and wistful expression. 

_Your blood... I know what it tastes like._

_There is no way that I want Kaname-senpai to drink my blood. Absolutely no way. You're wrong, Ichiru... Since then, I've been... _

... 

She heard the sounds. 

The sounds of something digging into someone's skin, scratching and squelching and it only became louder as Yuuki approached the room where she spotted one of the mirror images.

Yuuki couldn't tell which one of them were sitting there with blood on their neck and hand. "What... What are you doing?" 

The twin looked up at her with dead eyes, continuing to scratch at his bleeding neck. "It feels disgusting," he told her. "I can still feel that woman on me..." 

She stared, feeling tears coming up in her eyes as she got an eyeful of the wounds he created. Yuuki approached the twin, kneeling beside him and grasping his wrist. She moved it away from his bloodstained neck, wondering where the other twin could've gone.

"Stop..." Yuuki whispered. "That woman... She's the one who hurt you, wasn't she?" 

With one hand, Yuuki reached out to touch his wounded neck while his hand brushed gently against her cheek. She went on to babble, ignoring the twin's solemn expression.

"You're okay now... Because I'll be here holding you like this from now on. You're okay..." 

None of them noticed the other mirror image staring at the scene with that smile missing. 

... 

It was around that time that the four of us moved into the Cross School Building. 

"Zero, Ichiru, we actually have a guest." Kaien told the pair. 

Yuuki glanced at the two sitting at the table from across her. Zero had tilted his head with curious twinkling eyes while Ichiru placed his fork down, glancing at his plate with dull eyes. She let her eyes glance down at the bandages around her neck but immediately averted her gaze. 

"So late at night?" Ichiru asked as the doorbell rang. 

"You were bound to have your guests, Kaien-san." Zero smiled but it didn't reach his aware eyes. 

Yuuki stood up, looking at Kaien hesitantly. He gave her an encouraging smile as she ran towards the door. Kaien turned his attention to the twins, smile fading. 

"Zero, Ichiru, you should see it with your own eyes. You'll probably be able to tell..." 

They said nothing as Yuuki greeted the guest with a beaming expression. She smiled so happily unlike with the twins as the guest's hand reached out to pat her head and slide down to the side of her face. Yuuki nuzzled her cheek against the stranger's palm with clear familiarity. 

Everything went in slow motion as she pulled the guest forward. The twins exchanged looks, both sharing a look of understanding as their expressions became void of emotion.

_Pureblood_. They acknowledged. _Now, what to do about it? _

Zero stood in front of Ichiru protectively, hand gently pressed on top of Ichiru's who gripped the handle of the knife on the table. Yuuki, sensing immediate trouble, stood in front of Kaname in a similar way to Zero. 

"Ichiru..." 

They exchanged looks once again, Zero giving Ichiru a subtle nod as he removed his hand. Both twins moved at rapid speed, two blurs of silver as one of them approached steadily.

"Ichiru, no!" 

She called out. Kaname stood in front of her, the knife plunging into his wrist and drawing blood. Everyone's attention settled upon the twin who dared to stab the pureblood. Surprisingly enough, it wasn't Ichiru who attacked.

There stood Zero, eyes wide and staring unblinkingly at Kaname, who appeared unfazed. Ichiru had been pushed down to the floor by his brother, who snatched the knife and went to attack the pureblood himself. Zero pushed closer, forcing Kaname's hand to his person. They stood close, entering each other's personal bubble as Zero craned his neck upward. 

"Kaname-sama!" Yuuki cried out. 

"Slashing at me so suddenly is very rude..." Kaname said.

"While I do not harbor any ill intentions, my brother does." Zero whispered breathily, unknowingly captivating the pureblood. "You smell like her, which makes my _Knight_ angry. If I have to, I will gladly rid of any scent similar to her just to make him happy." 

Zero's expression twisted into a disturbingly childish expression paired with an innocent smile. "So, please allow me to murder you at once, beloved _King_." 

Kaname's eyes hardened. "Her scent? So you must be one of the Kiryuu's... I heard about you two. While I am sorry about your family, I have no intention of getting killed by you." He glanced at the twin on the floor. "Not by any of you." 

Zero yanked the knife from Kaname's wrist, bringing the stained blade up to his mouth. Keeping eye contact, Zero's tongue poked out to lick some of the blood with that smile still on his face. Kaname stared, almost entranced before he blinked and averted his gaze from Zero's mouth. Ichiru stood up and approached his brother, tugging on Zero's limp hand.

"I see..." Zero licked a long stripe on the path of blood. "Then I must apologize for my actions..." 

Ichiru stared at Zero, wondering why his brother licked up that vampire's blood. But he knew nothing would happen to Zero and if something did... 

Well, he'll have one more reason to kill that vampire for. 

"Kaname-sama..." Yuuki gasped. "Your wrist..."

"It's nothing," he said, assuring the girl. "It'll heal soon. I'm a vampire, remember? Also..." Kaname glanced at the backs of the twins, Kaien leading them both out of the room.

"It's not me who's feeling pain." 

... 

"Zero, Ichiru... Kaname-sama has gone home..." 

Yuuki stared at the twins sitting on the bed. The scene wasn't unusual; Zero was straddling Ichiru, both of them embraced in an intimate hug. Ichiru laid his head against Zero's shoulder as the elder twin whispered comforting words and running his hands through silver strands. 

She approached the pair. "I'm sorry, I should've told you guys sooner..." 

The girl reached out, aware of Ichiru's eyes on her figure. 

"That wouldn't do, Hime." Zero said, stopping her in her tracks. "You'll upset Ichiru, after all, you have touched that vampire with those same hands." 

Yuuki backed away, looking downward.

"Kaname-sama is a kind vampire... He saved me..." 

Ichiru scowled, tightening his grip on his brother. "There's something wrong with all of you. Everyone's gone mad..." 

Yuuki could only stare and listen. 

... 

"Welcome back Kaname." Ichijo greeted the pureblood. "You're early today. Is your business done?" 

Kaname entered the care, closing the door once he settled himself inside. "No, I've decided to take care of it next time." 

Ichijo hummed. "I didn't think you'd come back injured. There's still blood on your wrist." 

Kaname licked the blood as Ichijo offered him some tissue. The pureblood went on to stare at the healing wound, recalling the way the elder twin licked the knife with such knowing eyes. _Such interesting creatures_, he thought, _especially the one who asked to kill me so sweetly. _

"I met two boys who survived that incident a little while ago." 

"As I thought, Chairman Cross took them in. Well I guess it's natural..." Ichijo looked at the pureblood longer. "Are you... Jealous of them because they can stay by Yuuki's side all the time?" 

Kaname leaned his head against his palm. "I don't have time for that. I'll be busy soon."

**Then after awhile, Chairman Cross made a strange proposal.**

"As you all know, I'm Cross Academy's Chairman. I've decided to found the Night Class at my school for next year!" 

Yuuki stopped what she was doing as Ichiru continued to read his book and Zero leaned against Ichiru's shoulder and read with him. Yuuki looked at Kaien with a curious gaze, wondering what the man was concocting now. 

"Night Class? Do you mean a night school for advanced people?" 

Kaien tutted. "No, no. Night Class is Night Class." 

That only made Yuuki even more confused. 

"We'll probably use the building of the night school for advanced people but it's not for advanced people nor is it a university." 

"Then what do they do there?" Yuuki tilted her head. 

"Of course, studying through the night. We'll be making them do really advanced things so there won't be any age limit because..." Kaien felt his smile fade. "They' who are nocturnal, live much longer than 'us'. It's impossible to measure their time."

Abruptly, Ichiru stood up from the chair. Zero let out a squeak as he fell into the empty space where Ichiru once sat. 

"All the members of the Night Class are vampires." 

Ichiru glowered. "What are you planning on doing? Letting in those kind of creatures into this school." 

"It is for the purpose of 'peaceful coexistence of vampires and humans," Kaname's voice answered. "And educating young vampires to be moderate..." 

"Kaname-kun, you've come." Kaien greeted warmly. 

Yuuki gasped. "Kaname-sama?" 

Zero watched the scene, pushing himself upward into a sitting position. "Beloved King," he breathed out. "What a pleasant surprise." 

Kaname glanced at Zero, nodding his head in greeting and gaining a bright smile in return. 

"This is ridiculous!" 

Ichiru gripped Kaien's shirt, face scrunched up angrily. "It's impossible for vampires to really live together with humans! How many times has bloody history been covered up because of this?!" 

"I want to end it," Kaien told him. "Because I too lost someone, just like you and Zero."

"So because of that, you have the right to bring beasts to a flock of sheep?!" 

"There's also Ichiru's issue. Chairman, have you decided already?" Yuuki asked. 

"The both of you don't have anything to worry about." Kaien assured. "Kaname-kun will be in the Night Class. So the other vampires will be obedient and thanks to him, many have decided to come."

"But..." Zero's soft voice caught everyone's attention. Zero smiled softly. "If he betrays, that's the end." 

Ichiru twitched, spinning on his heel and walking out of the room. Yuuki watched with an exasperated expression, this always happened whenever the topic was vampires. And Zero did nothing to help the situation at all!

"I-I'll go see him..." Yuuki said awkwardly, running out of the room.

"Kaname-kun, I'm really happy that you've agreed to my pacifism." 

Kaname picked up the book Ichiru had dropped in his anger, flipping through its pages. 

"Yes, I really do wish it'll come true. And I'm under restriction, so I want someone who could be my free body. There is also one thing that I'm concerned about, but..." 

The pureblood settled next to Zero, who leaned against Kaname with a soft sigh. Kaname glanced at Zero, but said nothing about the twin's closeness. 

"There's no need to worry." Zero told the pureblood, playing with the other's hand. "You'll play a wonderful queen, beloved King." 

Zero ignored the pair of suspicious gazes upon him, humming a song and intertwining his fingers with Kaname's. 

... 

Then by the next year, the Chairman put his plan into effect. 

"That old lodging house for teachers... I thought they weren't using it anymore." Yuuki pointed out, spotting the lights on from the windows. 

"I heard that they are either taking an entrance exam or making some kind of oath." Ichiru told her as he began to walk away. "It's just a temporary dormitory for vampires. Don't go near their lair." 

Yuuki could only stare at the building. _That means... Kaname-sama is there right now..._

"Are you thinking of going there to see the beloved King?" 

Zero's voice startled her, the brunette whipping around to see the elder twin smiling down at her with that knowing smile. Yuuki nodded, already knowing it would do her no good to hide such ideas from Zero when he always knew.

"I'll come with you, just don't tell Ichiru, 'kay?" He winked at her, making her smile. 

... 

The pair approached the entrance, Yuuki opening the door with a creek. However, it seemed like they weren't the only ones there. As soon as she took one step inside, Zero in pursuit, she let out a startled scream when an unknown voice took to calling her out. 

"Oh, it's Yuuki-chan," the blond vampire greeted with a smile. "And one of the Kiryuu's. Zero, right? Did you come to see Kaname?" 

Yuuki stepped back into Zero's chest, not at all liking the sudden scare. Zero chuckled and pulled Yuuki into a hug, resting his chin on her head. 

"We are here to see the beloved King." Zero replied, making Ichijo blink in slight confusion at the nickname. 

"Uh, well... I'm sorry but Kaname's out right now. He's not staying out late, just hanging around..." Ichijo informed the two. 

"You... How do you know about us?" Yuuki asked. 

"I lived with Kaname, so I often drove him to your house. I was always spying from the car when you were clinging to Kaname. Also, Kaname often talks about you two when given the chance." Ichijo answered cheerfully. 

_He's really friendly, but he's also a vampire too..._ Yuuki thought, eyebrow twitching. 

"Okay, you two should go back and go to bed! Even inside the school, you can't walk around at night." He said sternly, earning 'okay's from the two children.

"We're not leaving, are we?" Yuuki turned to Zero. 

Zero's smile grew mischievous. "Of course not, Hime." 

... 

Zero hummed softly as they sat on one of the bottom stairs. 

Yuuki leaned her head against Zero's shoulder, the elder twin resting his head on top of hers. She didn't know why Zero did the things he did, but she was really grateful that he decided to stay with her. Otherwise, she would've been waiting here awkwardly. 

"What the heck is this?" A voice startled her out of her thoughts. "A thousand question survey? Chairman Cross must be really evil, telling us we have to turn this in tonight!" 

"You're taking it too seriously." Came another voice. "I'm just taking it easy." 

The two children exchanged looks before chuckling. A vampire seriously answering the survey? That was a funny thought. Sadly, their chuckling caught the passing vampires' attention. Yuuki gulped, standing up and bowing hastily while Zero leaned back even further on the stairs, staring up at them with a cheeky smile. 

"She's looking this way... Is she one of my fans?" The blond asks, glancing down at his paper. 

"Why is a human child here? Not only that but two of them." The girl glances down at them. "Hey, don't cause any troubles before we even enter the school, okay? I don't want you ruining my school life with Kaname-sama."

They continued on their way, having said their pieces. Zero pouted, finding that vampire rude. Telling them not to ruin her life with her precious Kaname-sama. Yuuki, on the other hand, stared at their backs in awe, finding them to be very beautiful. 

Yuuki blinked. _She also said Kaname-sama... She must like him too..._

... 

Time passed and still no sign of Kaname. 

The two had settled back into their positions from before, leaning against one another as their eyes began to droop. Zero had long fallen asleep, his head resting on top of hers as they snuggled close for warmth. The sound of the clock ticking was slowly hypnotizing Yuuki to fall asleep as well. 

_What should I do? _Yuuki thought dazedly. _Will the Chairman realize that me and Zero aren't in bed? Kaname-sama... If all those vampires were like the ones I saw, coexistence could really... _

She finally fell asleep alongside Zero before she could finish her thought. However, as soon as she fell asleep, a vampire approached the pair. He stared down at them, bending forward with a creeping hand towards Yuuki. 

"I guess you don't know the rules of the Night Class yet." Kaname's voice cut through the silence as the vampire straightened up. 

"I'm sorry, I just remembered." The vampire said, walking up the stairs past the sleeping pair. "I have a survey to do... I'll go back to the room." 

Once the vampire was gone, Kaname approached the pair with a solemn look on his face. Yuuki snuggled closer to Zero with a shiver, the boy repeating Yuuki's previous actions. He sighed and slipped his jacket off to drape it over Zero and Yuuki. 

"You are being so defenseless, even if you have Zero around." Kaname said, knowing full well that the girl wasn't going to answer. He eyed Yuuki's neck, letting his eyes slide over to Zero's exposed neck as well. Torturous, the two were, even if they didn't know it.

"Zero, you're awake, aren't you?" 

The boy stirred in response, shifting as if wanting to find a comfortable position. This occurred a few more times before silver eyelashes fluttered open. Zero gave out a sleepy hum, sitting up and rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands. 

"King..." Zero yawned, stretching in the process. "You came...?" 

"Can you stand up?" He asked softly, earning a nod in response. "Good, once you've done that, I'll take you and Yuuki some place better." 

Zero stood up but almost fell in the process, still haven't ridding his body of sleep just yet. Kaname caught him and steadied the poor boy, making sure he didn't fall over again. He picked up Yuuki bridal style with the coat over her. Zero immediately clung onto the back of Kaname's shirt and followed him up the stairs, despite him swaying a bit. 

Once he settled the two into a bed, wine-red eyes watched them curl up together. Zero let out a soft sigh, burying his head into Yuuki's hair while Yuuki buried her face into Zero's neck. They seemed comfortable, falling back to sleep with ease. 

Kaname watched them a bit more before he left them to sleep. 

... 

**In my dream, I thought I heard someone whisper those words... _'What a cruel thing you do to me...' _**

Yuuki slowly opened her eyes, finding herself in a different setting than before. 

She pushed herself up, feeling the soft mattress underneath her. Yuuki looked to the side and spotted Zero sleeping, a protective arm over her waist, which must've fallen down when she sat up. Zero looked so peaceful as opposed to when he was awake and she would feel terrible if she woke him up at this moment. 

"Where...?" Yuuki looked around, not recognizing the room. She spotted the jacket covering both her and Zero and took a sniff of it. 

_Kaname-sama's coat..._ Yuuki looked around again, spotting a door ajar. 

Yuuki swung her legs over the bedside. _Kaname-sama?_ She got up and moved to the door, spotting two figures standing by the window. 

"Ruka..." 

_That was Kaname-sama's voice, what is he doing...?_ Yuuki thought, only to freeze as she saw Kaname's lips pressed against the girl's neck. The girl gripped Kaname's shoulder as the pureblood took blood from her. 

"Kaname... Sama... No more..." She gasped as Kaname pulled away. 

The girl fell into his embrace as he straightened up with blood falling down his chin. He made eye-contact with Yuuki before a hand blocked her vision and pulled her away from the door. 

"That's right, you should run away... You make me cruel, Yuuki." 

"Naughty Hime," Zero voice whispered playfully. "Spying on the King in such an intimate moment... But I believe it's time for us to go." 

Yuuki said nothing and allowed herself to be pulled away, not believing what she had just saw. Zero, on the other hand, seemed unfazed and began humming a song. Kaname's words ringing through both of their heads. 

_You make me cruel._

... 

Once outside, the two encountered Ichiru who stood there with a stoic expression. 

"Ichiru..." Zero smiled, earning a glare in response. 

"The Chairman told me to look for the both of you." He told them. Ichiru saw Yuuki's distressed figure and narrowed his eyes. 

"Did Kaname Kuran do anything to you? The both of you?" 

Yuuki shook her head and Zero said nothing, which only made Ichiru suspicious of what the two had witnessed. He said nothing and grabbed at Zero's hand, pulling both children as they made their way back to the Chairman.

"Let's go home." Ichiru said, not once looking back at them. 

The brunette became lost in her thoughts, feeling fear creep up onto her once she realized what she just saw. Vampires require blood to live, she bit her lip. Doesn't matter from what source they get it from.

"They are beast in human form, who don't hesitate in taking the lives of others." Ichiru's voice cuts through the silence. "Kaname Kuran is just the same. You've known that too." 

Yuuki stopped, forcing the two in front of her to stop as well. Ichiru and Zero turned to her, watching as tears prickled in her eyes. 

"But, Kaname-sama saved my life..." 

**From that time, there was something that changed in me.**

"It's because of Kaname-sama that I'm living right this second..." 

Both twins sighed and looked at Yuuki with such clarity. "Then stop shaking." Ichiru told her. 

"You're being miserable, Hime." Zero pipped in. 

**It was the night I remembered what fear was once more. But there was something that didn't change- _I still liked Kaname-senpai..._**

... 

A door creaked open and there stood Ichiru with a towel around his neck. 

"She's asleep." He said to himself, spotting the sleeping brunette on the couch. Ichiru approached her. "You'll catch a cold, Yuuki." 

The girl didn't even stir. He sat on the edge and leaned down to reach out and touch her shoulder, only to have her call out for her dear Kaname-sama in her sleep. Ichiru ceased all movement, his hand frozen in place as he stared at her exposed neck. 

_Ba-thump_

Ichiru's body began to tremble as an overwhelming wave of bloodlust washed over him. He slipped off from the edge, gripping his throat in desperation. Ichiru could almost taste it, Yuuki's sweet blood. He's had it before but now, his body was craving for it once again. Lilac eyes glazed over as they looked at the doorway, only to freeze.

There stood Kaname Kuran, leaning against the doorway as Ichiru stood up in surprise. 

"You don't have to be taken aback," Kaname told him. "I have business with the Chairman. I used to come uninvited all the time, remember?" 

Ichiru said nothing as Kaname continued to talk.

"I've never told you before... But do you know why I've allowed your presence here? I know there's a risk for seeking peace in Cross Academy, that's why I did a lot of thinking. Who would be able to become a shield for Yuuki..." The pureblood glowered at him. "You could never betray her because you are under her obligation." 

Kaname turned around. "You are being left to live because of that, Ichiru. Do remember." 

Ichiru could only watch as the pureblood left. 

_ Chapter 14: END _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm.  
I noted that I made Kaname much more tolerable of Zero, which makes me feel like it is a rushed development. Then again, it is a flashback. Kaname's interest in Zero is more prominent here, I suppose that he's gotten better at hiding it physically? Their first meeting is a bit wild but I (hope) it's something I'm doing right. Remember, questions can be asked in the comments. If anyone is interested in finding my art/other content, my Instagram and (rarely used) Twitter are below. 
> 
> Until next update...
> 
> \--- 
> 
> Instagram: @glitter_gmyst  
Twitter: @MystGold (Might not find much here but here it is)


	17. The Hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While there is many reasons for Ichiru's continued existence, he serves yet another purpose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An update has arrived.  
The chapter in which everything begins to deviate from the original. The next seven chapters will definitely contain some slight differences but it has the same end results as the manga. After that? Well, I suppose Zero won't be much of an enigma. Depends on how good my writing skills actually are. I don't have much to say other than chapters 22+ will be some entertaining chapters to write. 
> 
> Do enjoy.

Ichiru stared into his reflection as he recalled Kaname's words. 

_'You are being left to live because of that, Ichiru. Do remember.' _

"Kaname Kuran..." Ichiru gritted his teeth, wondering what the hell was vampire playing at. 

_Creak... _

"Goodness, I'm tired." Yuuki's voice startled Ichiru out of his thoughts, said boy turning to Yuuki once she entered the bathroom. 

"Oh, Ichiru." Yuuki blinked as she closed the door behind her. "Were you going to take a bath just now?" 

"Can't you knock on the door?" 

"You're the one who never knocks! Don't forget to hang your towel on the door knob because the key's not working." 

Ichiru ignored her, opting to stare into the mirror at his reflection. "Kaname Kuran. What does he really want with you?" 

Yuuki blinked. "Eh?" 

"Nothing, ignore what I've said. Go on now." Ichiru dismissed it, looking in the mirror as he unbuttoned his shirt. 

"Hey..." Yuuki leaned close into Ichiru, unknowingly irritating the boy. "I forgot to tell you something, it's all in your head." 

Lilac eyes glanced down at the brunette as she continued to speak. "I've never thought of giving blood to Kaname-senpai, you know." 

Ichiru huffed. "So?" 

"What." Yuuki bristled. "You're the one who said such weird things. You know I'm responsible for giving you my blood and I intend to do that from now on. I can't give it away lavishly." 

Yuuki gripped Ichiru's shirt, noting that he wasn't even looking at her. "Look at me, are you even listening? You're not going to say I don't want to again, are you?"

Ichiru bit the inside of his cheek once he noted the brunette moving into his personal space. 

"We made up our minds, right? You and I..." 

Yuuki's sentence trailed off when Ichiru gripped both of her wrists tightly. He pushed her backward until her back roughly hit the wall. She let out a squeak of surprise and opened her eyes that had closed upon contact. 

"Now?" Yuuki asked, implying something. 

Ichiru leaned down, making it seem like he was leaning down to bite her neck. But instead of doing so, Ichiru sighed and straightened up. 

"You're stupid. Telling me to make up my mind when you're the one who hasn't." 

She couldn't feel his weight anymore and opened her eyes to spot the boy taking off his shirt to go shower. Yuuki frowned and reached for her towel and underwear on the counter. Ichiru didn't expect the girl to throw it at him, the pieces of clothing laying on his head. 

"I thought you were serious, idiot!" 

Calmly, Ichiru pulled the towel and her bra in the process. Yuuki blushed, seeing how Ichiru just eyed the garment and snatched it from his hand. She headed for the door in flustered madness. 

"If you try something like that again, I'll get really mad and tell Zero on you!" 

_SLAM! _

Ichiru sighed, that girl was too much trouble. Just as soon as Yuuki left, the chairman entered with a curious look on his face. 

"What happened? It seemed like Yuuki was mad at something. But, it is convenient. I have something to talk with you about. Alone."

The Chairman pulled out a paper from under his robe and opened it. On the paper, was a mission with a person's picture on it. Upon seeing this, Ichiru knew nothing good was to come from this. 

"It's from the government's secret organization, the Hunter's Association. You are designated to 'hunt a continuous bloodthirsty Level E'." Kaien told him. "This is the paper ordering you on what to do. They're so nice, aren't they?" 

"They want to test you, to see if they can 'use' you. I told them you were fine but..." 

_You don't have any right to say no to this._ Ichiru recalled the Chairman's words as he walked down the street.

From behind him, Yuuki hid behind the corner of a wall. Earlier, she had noticed the boy wasn't in his Day Class uniform and appeared to be going outside the academy walls. This was, of course, very suspicious and Yuuki had to know what the boy was going to do if he was going to skip class. She wondered if it was because of something she said. 

_Well, I'll find out today._ Yuuki thought with resolution as she chased after Ichiru. 

Unknown to any of them, another figure followed closely. 

... 

Ichiru approached the man leaning against the wall with a girl in his lap with his weapon drawn.

The girl appeared to be breathing steadily but was most likely unconscious. He took notice of the girl's neck and the puncture wounds that laid upon it. He pointed the sword at the vampire's neck, careful to avoid the girl in the process. The man slowly opened his eyes, no panic to be found within them. 

"Who are you..." 

Ichiru ignored his question. "Four teenage girls with their lives taken. Was it you?" 

"You can't be asking questions when you could've just sliced me." A twisted smile settled on his face. "Ha, thanks to you, before you can do anything, I can slit this girl's throat. Could it be your first real 'hunting' Mr. Hunter?" 

Before Ichiru can do anything, the vampire made his escape but not without mocking Ichiru for not being able to save the girl's life. Ichiru sighed, wondering why he even bothered. Running a hand through his hair, Ichiru could only strengthen his resolve. 

"I'll finish you off..." 

... 

Shiki Senri and Toya Rima stood outside of their managers car. 

"It's here, huh." Shiki mumbled, looking up at the building. 

"Hey Shiki, what're you doing, not carrying an umbrella with you. What are you going to do if you get sunburned?" Rima asked from under her parasol. 

Their manager in the car smiled at them both. "Rima, Shiki-kun, I'll wait there at the shoot, okay? Take care of what you call business soon or you'll be late to the shooting. And Shiki, you get sunburned easily and turn red, so share Rima's umbrella." She pushed up her glasses. "Can you please act like a professional. 

She drove off, leaving the two to their devices. 

Rima and Shiki walked underneath the umbrella and began small talk. 

"Why do we have to exterminate an ex-human during the day?" Shiki asked in monotone. 

"An official notice from the Senior Members House came saying 'Don't let the hunters catch him before we do'." Rima told him. 

"Hah, a competition it seems..." 

"This time's game hasn't been a Level E for that long yet, so he may be more clever than the usual ones. It's no big deal." 

The two stopped when they spotted Yuuki coming from around a corner. 

"Ah, a member of the Disciplinary Committee." Shiki pointed out. 

"Shiki-senpai, Toya-senpai." Yuuki tilted her head. "Why are you two here?"

Yuuki wasn't able to get a response when a voice from above interrupted the conversation. 

"Oh?" They looked up and saw the man. "His comrades? Unfortunately, I'm taking care of something right now..." His face twisted into a snarl. "Are you perhaps intending to take my dessert away from me? That's no good." 

He jumped down and landed in a crouch. "You can't do such a thing! It's my amusement for later." 

Yuuki spun around, pulling her Artemis Rod out of her pocket and holding out protectively in front of her. "You... You intend to fight me?!" 

However, she wasn't able to do anything when Shiki pushed her backward as he approached, biting his finger to let his blood trickle out from the wound. 

"You're in the way." He told her as he whipped his hand forward. Shiki's blood moved like a whip would, cracking the stone ground as the Level E avoided the attack. The vampire ran away, nowhere to be seen.

"Oops, he ran away." 

Rima rolled her eyes. "What're you doing? Go after him, quick." 

Shiki looked at her. "I don't find chasing fun." 

"Just go after him." 

By that point, Yuuki had already left them behind. Ichiru must be in this deserted house, possibly chasing that Level E... Yuuki looked around for the vampire, only to be startled when a hand gripped her foot. Looking below, she found the vampire hanging on the ledge of the hole. 

"Hello," was all he said before pulling her downward. 

She fell with a gasp but gripped onto the edge as the vampire began to pull himself up on her clothing. 

"I'm really lucky today, you're the second girl I've caught." He smiled creepily. "Come, I'll be really nice to you."

**BANG! BANG! **

The vampire let go of Yuuki and fell onto the floor below. Yuuki looked up and spotted Zero, the nozzle of the gun releasing smoke. The elder Kiryuu smiled and jumped down from the ledge. He landed on the vampire, making sure he couldn't move with his knee on its back. Bloody Rose rested itself on the vampire's temple. The Level E laid underneath from Zero, not making a single movement. 

"My... You shouldn't want to defile a pure maiden so." Zero said, that smile still on his face. "But I suppose I should put you out of your misery, no?" 

"Zero..." Yuuki jumped down to where Zero was. "What are you doing?!" 

The aforementioned boy didn't even glance at the brunette. 

"Ichiru was given an order," Zero's voice was sharp. "He was to enforce discipline on this Level E for his crime of killing for the sake of drinking. Seeing as he isn't here right now," The nozzle of the gun pushed deeper against the vampire's temple. "I will do so myself." 

Upon this information, the vampire sagged. "Oh dear... Seems like I've been caught. But now, it seems like I don't have to kill anymore." 

Zero stared at the resigned man and whispered something so softly that Yuuki couldn't hear it. 

**BANG! **

_Clank..._

The shell casing fell to the floor as the once vampire turned into dust. Yuuki watched Zero's figure, barely hearing when Ichiru approached the two. 

"Seems like you were late brother." Zero told him casually. "What took you so long?" 

Ichiru narrowed his eyes. "I encountered Toya and Shiki with the missing girl, she's still alive. However, I knew you'd do something so I didn't interfere." 

"You can claim this kill. I won't say a word." 

"Thank you, Aniki..." 

Zero hummed, looking outside the window and making eye contact with a crow on a branch.

... 

Elsewhere, a girl opened her eyes. 

The girl leaned back in her chair and giggled, kicking her legs up and down as she recalled the scene that played before her eyes. 

"Oh my," She gasped. "That sad posture is so nice. They've grown up to look like such handsome men. Not to mention that tasty looking girl..." 

The girl licked her lips at the thought of having a taste of the brunette. A crow flew in from her window and landed on her outstretched hand. 

"Mm... I've decided I want to attend Cross Academy too..."

_ Chapter 15: END _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder if my writing is truly satisfactory to hold the mystery of a character- better yet, a whole tragedy.  
Anyhow, hopefully you readers have enjoyed the chapter. I'm truly surprised at how far I had gotten with this fanfiction as it only had at least 10 chapters before I decided to post it onto here as one of my first works online. I enjoy writing it, so I suppose that's one of the major pluses of it all. As of right now, I am working on the 23rd chapter - shocking, I know - and plan to get through the whole manga or at least, all that I'm able to before it begins to deviate even more.  
Any questions can be asked in the comments and will be answered in the end notes of the next chapter. 
> 
> Until next update...


	18. New Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are going downhill, especially with this new arrival.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm alive, I swear.  
Ironically enough, this is what I've started my latest Instagram post with. Huh. This chapter still follows the manga's events, not yet diverging but we'll get there. Currently working on chapter 25, so that's a plus. Now, I'll leave you lovely readers to read what you came here for.
> 
> Do enjoy.

"Excuse me!" Yuuki's voice echoed over the yelling girls. "At this time, all of you Day Class students cannot go any further than this!" 

"Just a little bit!" One of the girls shouted. 

Meanwhile, on Ichiru's and Zero's side, the girls remained quiet and behind the twin perfects. One of the girls gulped, slowly creeping forward as another girl noticed one of them trying to get past the eerily silent boys.

"If you go one step ahead of us..." Zero's voice startled her.

"We'll make you regret it." Ichiru finished, instilling fear into the girl. 

Both of them sent her a cold look, making her back away in terror. The other girls who looked upon the scene began to comfort the girl and encourage her actions. 

"Just ignore him!" 

"These days, the Kiryuu twins are quiet so it's okay!" 

Ichiru looked over his shoulder with an icy glare. "You girls really want to try our patience, huh?" 

Zero looked upon them with disappointment. "Honestly, such pretty girls shouldn't make such a fuss..." 

Their tactic had effectively kept the girls behind them in check while Yuuki struggled to keep her fair share from going any further. 

"Wait!" Yuuki cried out. "You really can't go any further!" 

"Just one picture with them!" One of the girls said. 

"No way!" 

A hand on her shoulder startled the poor brunette. Yuuki looked over her shoulder and spotted Aidou, who seemed to have that mischevious glint Zero seldom had in his eyes. 

"Want me to help push them back?" He asked her. 

"Huh?" 

Kain watched the scene, knowing full well that Aidou's actions weren't going to help the brunette at all. Aidou pulled Yuuki by the arm and into the closed doors of the dormitory. Yuuki gasped in surprise as Aidou wished the girls goodbye. The girls banged on the door, screaming how unfair it was for the perfects to get such treatment.

On the other side, Aidou listened to the girls' screams with a chuckle. "They're jealous of you, how cute..." 

"Um... Please let go of my Aidou-senpai." Yuuki attempted to pull her arm from the blond. "I'll be going back now." 

"What's with that attitude? I helped you." 

"Yuuki's troubled, Aidou." Kaname's voice stopped Aidou from doing anything rash. He looked at Yuuki. "Yuuki, you'll get hurt if you work too hard." 

"A-Ah, yes... I'll be careful..." Yuuki scratched her cheek. "But as a perfect, I should be able to handle myself... There's no point in me being a perfect if-" 

The doors opened abruptly, the sound of screaming girls becoming even louder now that it wasn't being muffled by the closed doors. Ichiru grabbed Yuuki by the arm and pulled her out of there while Zero handled the girls. 

"What are you doing? Being abducted like that. Let's go." 

The doors closed behind them. 

... 

"Are you mad at me about letting Ichiru go that time, Yuuki?" 

Kaien's question caught Yuuki off guard. 

"Both Ichiru and Zero were born into a family of hunters. Sooner or later, one of them were bound to have that kind of job to be assigned to them. It is only fortunate that only one of them was deemed as 'hunter' material." 

"Are you saying that it's his duty...?" Yuuki couldn't help but ask. 

"Yes, if only to give Ichiru a chance to live as a human." 

Yuuki didn't know how to respond to that. 

"Anyway, there's a favour I want to ask of you, Yuuki. I would like you to show a new student around..." 

"A new student...?" 

The Chairman nodded, flipping through the papers on the clipboard. "Yep. She was actually supposed to be admitted earlier but she was in poor health. She was staying in a villa deep in the mountains until now." 

Two knocks on the door caught their attention. 

"Ah-ha, I think she's ready. Come in." 

The door creaked open and in walked a petite girl with silver hair and lavender eyes in a Night Class uniform. Yuuki gasped upon seeing the uniform, not believing that the new student was actually a vampire. It is quite the unexpected seeing a vampire transferring into the Night Class. 

"This is Kurenai Maria. Kurenai-san, this is my daughter, Yuuki." Kaien introduced the two to one another. 

"Eh? Ah, it's nice to meet you." Yuuki greeted hesitantly. 

Maria smiled, looking downward with a hand over her mouth. "What a delicious looking person... Healthy too..." 

Kaien gasped scandalously. "Hey! That's a taboo phrase in the academy." 

"Ah, I'm sorry." Maria gave Yuuki an innocent smile. "Nice to meet you, Yuuki-san." 

Yuuki forced herself to smile.

... 

"Right there is the library, but it's closed at this time and the Night Class students use the library in the dorm." Yuuki said, pointing to the door beside her. "Oh and this is the classroom the Night Class are using today."

Yuuki stopped when she couldn't hear Maria's steps from behind her. She turned around to see the girl somewhat down and staring at Yuuki with nervous eyes. 

"Is there something wrong?" 

Maria only pouted. "Yuuki-san... I'm actually scared of being admitted. As a vampire who becomes so ill easily would probably be excluded from them... Would you believe me if I said that?" 

Yuuki's face probably revealed disbelief as Maria covered her face. "Oh see! You don't believe me!" 

The brunette became flustered. "N-No. No, no. It was just unexpected is all. I think you'll be fine. Both the Class President and Vice President are kind and..." Yuuki took both of Maria's hands into hers. "If you have any problems, you can tell me or the Chairman. Be assured, Maria-san."

Maria stared at Yuuki for a few seconds before embracing her. 

"Thank you..." Maria told her. "I love people like you..." 

... 

"A new student who's admitted late, huh..." 

"How mysterious, I smell a crime." Ichijo said, looking out the window. 

"Is he talking about a book he read yesterday?" Shiki asked Rima as he took a few pocky sticks from its box. 

"No, there's really a new student coming." Rima answered. 

Shiki hummed as he put the three sticks in his mouth and broke it, chewing on the broken pieces in his mouth. Aidou whipped his head to the pair and gaped at them. 

"No! My pocky sticks I was going to give some to Kuran-sama too!" 

Before anyone could say or do anything else, a girl's chuckles echoed. Everyone's attention turned to the front where a new girl sat upon the teacher's desk with her legs crossed. She appeared to be very carefree, not at all intimidated by the people all around her. Her coloring was eerily similar to the Kiryuu's, only her eyes were a lighter shade of purple. 

"I'm glad this seems like a fun class..." The newcomer tilted her head. "Hey... Hasn't the class begun yet?" 

Aidou stared at the girl with suspicion. "You... Who are you..." 

The girl frowned, not at all liking the way Aidou used such a disrespectful tone when addressing her. "You?" 

She stood up and hopped from desk to desk until she stopped in front of Aidou. She reached out and let her fingertips gently graze Aidou's soft skin. "By you... Do you mean me?" 

Aidou immediately knew something was wrong with this girl but stayed still as Kaname spoke. 

"It's not a big deal if the newcomer tells us her name herself... Kurenai Maria." 

Maria immediately retracted her hands from Aidou's face, looking at the pureblood with wide, doe-like eyes. She kneeled on the desk and gently gripped Kaname's hand. The pureblood observed her actions as she apologized. 

"I'm sorry for displeasing you, Kaname Kuran-sama." Then, she lifted his hand with an expression of bliss as she rubbed her cheek against it. "Oh! I'm so happy to be able to meet a pureblood!" 

Everyone stared at the girl's eccentric actions, not at all liking how familiar she was acting towards their beloved pureblood. Kaname, on the other hand, remained stoic and allowed the actions to pass. 

"Nice to meet you too..." But anyone would be able to tell he didn't mean it. 

"Ah..." Maria turned to the other students and removed her hand from Kaname's. She stood up off of the desk and presented herself pitifully. "I'm sorry... It looks like I caused a heavy atmosphere."

Maria didn't look sorry at all as she chuckled once more. 

"I guess I should excuse myelf for now..." 

... 

Yuuki stepped out of the Academy walls and spotted Ichiru and Zero by a tree. Ichiru was leaning up against the tree and looking up at the sky while Zero talked to him softly. With a newfound determination, Yuuki approached the pair. Zero noticed her immediately and was about to call out to her when she slapped Ichiru's arm. Hard. 

"What are you doing skipping class, Ichiru!" Yuuki scolded. "And dragging Zero with you as well!" 

Ichiru moved away from her reflexively. "Ouch, what the hell..." 

Zero chuckled. "Hime seems to be in a good mood today." 

Yuuki placed both hands on her hips with a smile. "By the way, Ichiru. I heard from the Chairman that the girl you and Zero saved awhile ago is fine now. Her memories about it are going to be erased entirely." She tilted her head. "You're relieved, right?"

Ichiru sighed. "Not really. It's not like I willingly went to save her. But my will has nothing to do with it anyways, it's just work." 

_Vampire Hunters' duty, huh..._ Yuuki looked downward. "If you're the one who says it, that's fine but... You're always taking everything in alone. Even with Zero by your side, you still went alone by yourself." 

"Besides, who do you think will worry the most if you disappeared so suddenly? No one knowing where you are without you voicing it." Zero pipped in, pinching Ichiru's cheek much to the other's displeasure. "Aniki and Hime would be worried but Aniki will be sure to find you either way." 

Ichiru finally removed Zero's fingers from his cheek. "What is this? Bully Ichiru day? And stop speaking in third person, it's creepy!" 

Yuuki giggled at the pair's antics, but her mood quickly went downhill. "That was definitely one of the reasons why I followed you that day. I don't like it. I feel as though you're going to avenge your family's death without saying a word to either of us." 

Ichiru looked out in the distance. "I don't have to tell you such a thing... Not to either of you." 

The brunette's fist tightened, this is exactly what she was talking about. He was closing himself off again. "Yes you do... It's my duty to kill you, isn't it?" 

Zero observed the both of them as Yuuki continued to talk. "That day when you handed me your sword, I made a promise. I won't forget it, so don't you dare forget either." 

Somehow, Yuuki's words soothed Ichiru, making him chuckle. "You're right. If I go my own way, you and Aniki will have some troubles, not fufulling the promise. But you're saying that on the assumption that I won't strike you back. That's very rude, Hime." 

The use of Zero's nickname for her, threw the brunette off. Almost in a blur, Yuuki's hand collided with Ichiru's chest hard.

"I don't want to be told that from you!" Yuuki scowled but let it ease into a smile. "But, I believe in you, okay?" 

Ichiru scowled, ready to retaliate. "You..." 

"Hey... Isn't that the new student?" Zero interrupted in a low voice, causing the other two perfects' heads to turn.

Once Ichiru spotted the vampire, he froze in place with an unreadable expression. The twins exchanged looks, already knowing what the other was thinking. 

This girl wasn't just any normal vampire. _What to do now?_

"Kurenai-san? Is there something wrong?" Yuuki asked, ignorant of the tense twins behind her. 

Maria looked downward. "I guess I took it too far and now, nobody likes me..." 

Ichiru reached for his blade but a hand on his stopped him from unsheathing it. Lilac met amethyst and came to a mutual understanding after a few moments of subtle eye movements. It wouldn't do well to do anything rash, not when they didn't have all the facts just yet. 

Yuuki, all the while, approached Maria who had just taken notice of the twins. Maria stood timidly behind Yuuki, glancing between the twins shyly. 

"How do you do," She greeted. "I'm Kurenai Maria." 

The brunette smiled at her. "The two behind me are also Academy perfects. The smiley one is Zero while the icy one is Ichiru. But don't let their appearances fool you, they're quite helpful if you need them to be." 

Maria only shifted closer to Yuuki. "I guess loitering on my own wasn't good, I'm sorry... I seem to have made them tense. And thank you for protecting me, Yuuki-san. You're a good girl... I really like you. I know that the blood of a girl like you is really delicious." 

The vampire moved from Yuuki and began her walk back to the dorms. "I hope to become friends with you." 

... 

"Kurenai Maria was admitted after having down all the proper procedures and pledge." Kain read off of the page. "She seems to be in poor health since she was born and until now, never made an appearance in the Night Society."

Aidou walked beside Kain, not at all feeling right about this new student as Kain continued to talk. 

"I don't find anything weird and it seems like she knows nothing about fear." 

"Hey Akatsuki, have you ever seen that woman?" 

Kain tilted his head, "That woman?" 

"The pureblood on equal footing with the Kuran family, who disappeared after becoming insane, Hiou Shizuka." Aidou informed him. "After the incident with the Kiryuu family, she went missing and is said to be dead." 

"Unfortunately," Kain sighed. "I've never met her. What about her?" 

"It's..." Aidou's eyebrows furrowed. "Never mind, let's stop. Talking about that woman is ill omen." 

... 

"Kaname, that new student..." Ichijo smiled at the pureblood. "What are we going to do with her?" 

Kaname didn't even turn to Ichijo. "Then you take care of her. It's going to be a problem if I come out in the open and move around. The pieces she wants are all here in this academy..." 

The pureblood pushed the book back into the shelf.

"It's a matter of course. Since I've collected them all." 

_ Chapter 16: END _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An uneventful chapter I suppose.  
While I do have much to say in both my beginning and end notes, I honestly am speechless for once. My headache seems to have made a return with a vengeance. But ignoring my woes, I have work to do and things to find. Oh dear, I find myself busier than usual. Any questions can be asked in the comments and will be answered in the end notes of the next update, however vague they may be. I do try to be mysterious despite my inabilities to do so. 
> 
> Until next update...  
[My drawing of Zero](https://www.instagram.com/p/B37y2ECJXJ1/)


	19. Play

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to play one of the many rounds of their game... After all, things are spiralling downward quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Spooky Time.   
Hello, it has been awhile and happy Halloween. I decided to update on Halloween because it is the time of spook. On the other hand, an update is an update. Now, I have noticed my changes in plot are only slight but trust in me dear readers, it is a slow change needed. Besides, there will be much more hinted at Kaname/Zero from behind the scenes, though they aren't as important in due time.
> 
> Do enjoy.

Aware eyes stared up at the moon. 

Zero stood in front of the window in his room with only a night shirt on and a pair of boxers. Behind him, Ichiru was sleeping but not without the occasional grimace and movement. He knew Ichiru was dreaming about the woman who attacked them that night, knowing how cruel she was to an innocent child so young. 

_Innocent... _Zero could laugh at the implication. After all, Zero was never innocent. Not when he knew about all the possibilities. 

Gently, Zero let his fingertips graze against the cold glass. He wonders if he should make his move now, right when the Black King and the Red Queen were to play. 

"Kaname..." Zero let the pureblood's name spill from his lips. "I wonder... When you get one taste, will you succumb to temptation?" 

... 

_**Will you succumb to temptation?**_

Kaname could almost hear Zero's voice ask teasingly as he picked up the White Queen piece. _What an odd thing to happen_, Kaname thought as he placed the piece back down on the board. More often than not, Zero seems to have taken over his thoughts completely. A concerning thought since Yuuki's safety has always been the end goal.

_This just means that Zero's just another game master_, a voice whispers. _Wouldn't that be fun? To dance with someone who baffles you so..._

It certainly would, but it isn't like Kaname had factored for such an enigma. 

"Kaname." Ichijo's voice cut into his thoughts. "Kurenai Maria-san seems to be uneasy sleeping in the dorm she's in now." 

Maria didn't look one bit of uneasy but allowed the girl to plead her case. 

"I want to be excused from living in the dorm for awhile. Also, to keep the Night Class peaceful." She told him. "I heard that there's a dorm that was used when they were establishing the Night Class. I want to go there."

_Such a demanding girl,_ Kaname thought. But he'll bite. "Fine. I'll talk to the Chairman." 

Ichijo blanched at Kaname. "Eh? Is that really okay?" 

Maria, on the other hand, was ecstatic. "I'm happy! Thank you!" She said as she left. 

... 

"A dance party?"

Sayori looked at Yuuki with that usual deadpanned look on her face. "You forgot about it?" 

Yuuki laughed nervously. "Ah, I'm not really interested in dancing with anybody... More than that, I feel depressed thinking about the final exam that's coming up. Aren't you, Ichiru, Zero?" 

The aforementioned twins blinked in scary unison and wisely said nothing, startling the brunette. Honestly, she forgot how similar those two can be! 

"You really have forgotten it. Traditional Cross Academy's Dance Party... The rule is that the class who does the poorest on the final exam before the party, is forced to help the Dance Party's backstage preparation." 

"I'm worried, Miss Yuuki Cross..." Came the Day Class president's voice. "You are always lowering my class' average score..."

Sayori blinked at her fellow classmate. "Class President, that's a cruel thing to say..." 

Her sentence went ignored as the boy continued. "The dance party is a formal event in which the Night and Day Class can attend together... If I lose an opportunity to dance with Ruka-sama from the Night Class..." He glared ominously at Yuuki. "I'll hate you forever."

He walked away, leaving Yuuki to shudder in fright. Zero watched the aura coming from the student with amusement. 

"Wow, someone's sure desperate." He winked cheekily at Yuuki. "Bet you're going to study real hard, aren't you, Hime?" 

Yuuki nodded rapidly. "Of course." 

"Why don't you ask your father to look for an excellent tutor?" Sayori suggested. 

Ichiru's attention seemed to be caught elsewhere, making Zero tug on his brother's sleeve in concern. "Is there something wrong, Ichiru?" 

"No! You can't go that way!" Ichijo's panicked voice answered.

The three perfects watched as the new student walked down the open corridor with Ichijo in pursuit. The blond was clearly trying to get her to return to the dorm but Maria was very persistent and continued walking. 

"Maria, the Day Class is still here at this time! This is going to be a big problem!" 

It was already a problem when the Day Class students began to murmur and stare. Maria looked over her shoulder cheekily, as if she didn't know the trouble she was causing Ichijo. 

"You're exaggerating! I just wanted to have a look at the cafeteria." She told him with a giggle. "So amusing..." 

The girl dashed, determined to do what she wanted and leaving Ichijo behind. Yuuki went to go and help Ichijo but was stopped by Ichiru who held her arm tightly. 

"Don't go near that new student." He told her. "Leave her alone, that Vice President will do something about her." 

Yuuki straightened up. "Okay..."

"Yuuki-chan!" The brunette barely had time to avoid Aidou's hug as he embraced her tightly in front of everybody. "This is the second time we meet during the day, isn't it?" 

"A-Aidou-senpai?!" 

Upon seeing the blond vampire, the girls went wild with shock. "Kyaa! Aidou-senpai came too!" 

"Noo!" Another cried. "He's hugging her!" 

Aidou cackled evilly. "You shall be ill-treated by the girls who have gone mad with jealousy, Cross Yuuki." 

While the girls glared at her, Yuuki glared at Aidou for the unnecessary trouble. The vampire let go of her with a last chuckle. Ichiru and Zero watched as the scene played out, exchanging looks before giving discreet nods of agreement. Ichiru approached the blond vampire with a displeased politeness. 

"Aidou-senpai, may I talk to you for a moment?" 

"Huh, that's good. I also wanted to have a few words with you." Turquoise eyes glanced to the other twin. "Is your brother going to join us?" 

Zero smiled. "No, sadly not. My words are unfortunately with another individual." 

Aidou didn't press any further and began walking off with Ichiru. He turned to Yuuki and pressed a hand to her shoulder, planning to deliver Ichiru's unspoken words to her. 

"Listen, Hime. Whatever you do, be careful when dealing with Kurenai Maria." Yuuki could only blink as Zero continued. "The Red Queen likes to take off the heads of those she dislikes, but she loves the blood splatter of those she likes even more." 

Yuuki could only nod, somewhat understanding what Zero was trying to tell her. It was one thing coming from Ichiru but a warning like that coming from Zero? That meant there was something about Maria that meant bad business. Though, she wouldn't count on being able to avoid Maria entirely. Zero smiled and left Yuuki and Yori to their own devices. 

"I'm worried..." Yori said to her. 

"Ah, Ichiru will be fine." 

Yori shook her head, staring at the glaring girls behind Yuuki. "No, it's you I'm worried about." 

The brunette barely had time as she threw her books into Yori's hands and ran away from the approaching Day Class girls. 

"Hey perfect! You've got to give an explanation!" 

"Yeah! What the hell was that just now?!" 

... 

Yuuki had been running for awhile when she jumped onto the second floor ledge and lifted herself over the railing. The girls that had been chasing her had passed by without ever looking up, running on pure determination and sheer anger at the brunette perfect for something that was out of her control. When she finally settled on the floor, she let out a sigh of relief before spotting Ichijo. 

"Ichijo-senpai!" Yuuki gasped. "What happened to Maria-san?" 

The blond vampire laughed nervously. "Actually, she ran away while I was being chased by Day Class girls." 

Yuuki sagged forward. "Ran away, huh? Vice President Ichijo is having a hard time too, I see. You have to take care of such a thing while being chased by girls..." 

"Oh well, it's Kaname." Ichijo rubbed the back of his head. "If Kaname asks not just me, but everyone from the Night Class, we'll all do what he says. There are countless abilities pureblood vampires can use and one of them just so happens to be making lower ranked vampires obey." 

Ichijo sighed. "But, although Kaname seems superior, he doesn't wish for such a thing. It's why I'm doing these unfavorable duties." 

Yuuki can only smile warmly at the hardworking vampire.

... 

"Hah..." 

Aidou looked over the ledge and down onto the girls who stared right back up at hime. Both him and Ichiru stood on one of the rooftops, listening to the girls murmur about how unfair it was for the two to be so high up and inaccessible to their displeasure. It was definitely amusing- well, at least to the aristocrat vampire it was. 

"When you're next to me, the girls can't come near because they're scared. It's convenient at a time like this..." Turquoise eyes turned to the perfect. "So?" 

Ichiru didn't waste no time. "Does Kurenai Maria have any relations with 'that woman'?" 

"And who exactly is 'that woman'?"

"... Hio Shizuka." 

Aidou laughed. "What a rude fellow, not referring to our 'Pureblood Queen' of all people without an honorific title. But I guess it can't be helped- after all, she is the one who cruelly murdered your parents. Kurenai is a really old, distant relative of the Hio family. That's all. Got any problems?" 

Ichiru narrowed his eyes. "Isn't it because of her change in appearance that nothing has been heard of her for four years?"

"I don't know such things," Aidou told him. "The only one who knows all the abilities of a pureblood is the pureblood. But what's more important is, how you're feeling as of this moment. Only you would know." 

Aidou tilted his head over his shoulder as he left. "You're the only one who has that bond with that woman."

Something in Ichiru stilled as he spotted Maria. With careful eyes, he watched her walk away with such a solemn expression on her face.

... 

"You replace the value with this X." 

Yuuki looked down at the equation with a confused expression, she blinked up at Kaien and asked one of the hardest questions for the man to answer. "Why?" 

"E-Eh, well..." 

"Oh, Ichiru!" Yuuki called out to the younger twin. 

Kaien turned his head to the doorway where Ichiru stood. The blond man smiled and immediately put Ichiru to tutor the brunette. 

"This is good, tutor Yuuki. I have to go since the Night Patrol during the exam season is my duty." 

"Ichiru's tutoring? I don't really want him too, Zero's better." She complained, unknowingly gaining 

Ichiru raised an eyebrow. "If you want I can go get him?" 

"No, no!" The Chairman interrupted. "You'll do fine, Ichiru. No need to bother Zero. He's always helping the rest of you and he needs a break anyways." 

Once Ichiru settled next to Yuuki, Kaien was already heading for the door. 

"I'll leave it to you then. You didn't come because you had any kind of business, right?"

"None whatsoever, now shoo." 

Ichiru watched as Yuuki attempted to solve the equation on her paper. If there was one thing Yuuki wasn't good at, it was doing some mathematics. The hunter took notice of yet another mistake the brunette had done, finding it the same mistake she had done in the previous question. 

"You made a mistake on the same thing last time, solve it carefully." 

The girl jumped, noticing her mistake as well. She quickly made way to fix it. "If I remember this right... We do this and then, use this number, right?" 

Ichiru gave her a soft expression. "That's right." 

Yuuki looked downward, feeling the mood weigh down on her own. There was something wrong with him but she couldn't figure that out for the life of her... Yuuki sighed, taking notice of Ichiru's hand against his neck. With a soft hum, she spoke up after the moment of awkward silence. 

"Your neck, you were bothered by it awhile ago too." 

Ichiru rubbed the spot softly. "It was this place where that woman bit me... And it aches. There's not a single night where I've forgotten about that. The woman who played me for a fool and turned everything a blood red. And yet, being the only reason why I'm living on..." 

A hand gently placed itself on top of his. Yuuki leaned in close with a serious expression, looking Ichiru straight in his eyes. 

"What's wrong with you today, Ichiru?" She asked. "I'm worried because you're too quiet or are you just sleepy?" 

The brunette moved her hand and stood up, heading to the kitchen. "Maybe a cup of coffee will..." 

She barely had enough time to process it when Ichiru stood close, her back leaning against his chest as he held her hand gently. There was definitely something wrong now. 

"Seriously, what's wrong?"

... 

Chess pieces fell to the board with a soft clatter. 

Kaname looked over to where Kurenai Maria stood. The girl appeared much more mature now that she wasn't wearing her 'good girl' façade. She stood there with watchful eyes, knowing full well what the pureblood was to talk about. 

"That appearance and name..." Kaname leaned back and stared at the fallen pieces. "I wasn't sure about the answer at first, not knowing of your intentions." 

"Oh..." 'Maria' tilted her head. "I intrigue you."

Kaname brought the White Queen piece up to inspect it closer. "What vulgar tastes you have. I think you just wanted to play."

At last, 'Maria' chuckled. "Just play? Since when have you come to such conscientious ways of looking at things when you're of the same kind?"

... 

"Ichiru?" 

The younger twin said nothing, basking in the feeling of Yuuki. 

"Do you want blood...?" 

Ichiru's grip tightened. "Because you were there, I might've been able to live on..."

Then, he let go. He moved away from Yuuki, the brunette throwing him a questioning gaze. Ichiru moved fast, having his blazer thrown over his shoulder as he continued to talk.

"Don't forget the stuff I taught you. I'm going back to the dorm already." 

"Ah, goodnight, Ichiru. Thanks for tutoring me." 

"Goodnight." 

Ichiru left, unaware of Yuuki's worried gaze.

... 

Ichiru walked down the stairs in a calm hurry. 

His shoes tapped and echoed in the empty corridor... Well, the formerly empty corridor. 

"That's right..." Maria's soft voice echoed. "You're able to feel 'me' because there is a bond that's filling up the emptiness in your mind."

Ichiru aimed his blade at Maria's heart, the vampire not moving an inch despite the weapon threatening to slice through her. 

"You've finally come to kill me."

_ Chapter 17: END _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope this was satisfactory.   
I hope on a lot of things- that people actually liked my drawing of Zero, that I can get some work done, that I can become stress free, that my costume would've arrived in time for Halloween. But alas, not everything goes accordingly. I've noticed new comments are scarce, with two being of the last update. Downing truly, but, it is readers choice to comment. But I digress as always. Do remember, questions can be asked in the comments and will be answered in the end notes of the next update. 
> 
> Until next update...


	20. The First Move

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone makes the first move and the game begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm.   
This update has more of Zero that last, I am sure some of you have missed our favorite protagonist. I read a recent comment about the lack of fluff between Kaname/Zero and to be honest- it has made me realize how complicated I planned their relationship to be. Huh. I will tell you readers this though, both Kaname and Zero would rather first admit to their lust than love for someone. On another note, there will be more interactions in the later chapters and further on.
> 
> Do enjoy.

"You've finally come to kill me." 

Maria only gazed sweetly at Ichiru, allowing him to point his weapon at her. What she wanted was unclear to Ichiru, but he knew damn well that he wasn't about to let this person rule over him any longer. 

"Go on," she egged. "Give me a punishment, the one who made a mistake... If you can move your hand, that is." 

Ichiru's eyes widened, taking notice of his lack of movement. His body shook, his brain sending signals to move but something inside refused to do so. Maria give him a pity-filled gaze. 

"Oh? What are you surprised for?" She tilted her head. "Is it because you can't cut me?" 

Maria's hands found their way on his face, both thumbs rubbing soothing circles as she leaned in. Their faces so close that if she budged, she could've kissed him. She continued to talk in that mocking cooing tone that disgusted the hell out of Ichiru.

"_Don't touch me_."

"Poor boy, I'll just tell you the truth."

Dull eyes bored into his lilac pair. "You can't kill me, the 'master' who has given you life as a vampire. Not when you've fallen so low to become a 'servant'."

_Swish_

Maria stepped backwards, a hand on her shoulder. She wasn't injured, having moved fast enough to avoid a possibly fatal slash to her person. Ichiru scowled, the expression practically foreign on his face as he burned with internal rage. 

"You are the first one not to give up..." Maria sighed happily. "Such a good boy... I'm really glad I chose you. No matter how I may look, you're so good that you recognize me immediately. The one who took your life as a 'human'."

Ichiru glowered, "I would never forget you, Hio Shizuka. Ever since that day your true body was wet with our blood." 

Unbeknownst to the pair, the brunette perfect leaned against the pillar, watching discreetly from a distance. Yuuki couldn't believe what she was hearing but the evidence was right in front of her. _Maria-san is the vampire who ruined Zero and Ichiru's life, the one Ichiru wants to..._ Yuuki's eyes widened but she can't do anything yet, praying for Zero to make one of his uncanny appearances before anything gets out of hand.

"I do suggest not harming an innocent's body, Ichiru." Zero's voice caught everyone's attention as they turned to look at the unusually solemn twin. "After all, she's only borrowing it." 

"Aniki..." Ichiru murmured.

Maria tilted her head. "A pleasure to see you again, Kiryuu Zero..." 

"Hm... It seems we're going by full names, Hio Shizuka-san." Zero stared down at her. "Unfortunately, it is a pleasure that we do not share. What is your purpose in encountering Ichiru at a time like this?"

"What's the matter? No more predictions? Tell me, do you still see stars in my eyes?" 

Yuuki and Ichiru blinked, what was Maria talking about? The banter was confusing to other outside parties yet completely understanding between the two conversing. 

Zero's eyes narrowed. "Oh, your time is drawing near as we speak. Your galaxy is already on the verge of destruction."

His response only garnered more giggles from the girl.

"Besides, isn't it time for class?" 

The giggles came to an abrupt stop, a pout forming on full lips. "Hm... I suppose I've had my fun..." 

Maria began to walk away, barely sauntering past Ichiru's tense and hostile figure but whispering something that immediately set the hunter turned vampire off. Yuuki bolted, ready to call out to the twin before being pulled back into someone's embrace with a hand covering her mouth. 

"While I can never lose you... Your little hunter can be lost for all I care..." A voice whispered, but it seemed nearly unrecognizable. 

"**_ENOUGH!_**" Zero's yell was the last thing she heard as she fell limp. 

Ichiru froze before he could move, never hearing his brother yell like that before. It was cold, harsh even. The order was barked like a general to their soldiers and that wasn't a tone of voice coming out of a passive person like Zero. However, Maria remained unfazed and only continued to giggle. 

"Oh, what a guard you have..." Maria laughed. "I wonder, who really is in charge here?" 

For what seemed like the final time, Zero narrowed his eyes in warning. "Begin your march, _Red Queen_. Your subjects will rebel soon enough." 

Maria didn't give any indication that she heard Zero's declaration as she left. If she didn't know better, she was sure the boy's voice rang with absolution, the faint sound of a gavel hitting wood echoing in the distance. 

... 

Yuuki bolted up with a gasp. 

Looking around, she found herself in her dorm room, Yori sleeping in the bed next to hers. She stared blankly at the wall, wondering what the hell had happened to her. Yuuki shook her head, only recalling blanks in her memory. 

_Why does it feel like I'm forgetting something...? _

Time passed, and Yuuki found herself taking the exam. In the middle of it, she stared at the empty space in front of her. To her right, she spotted Zero diligently taking his test without a care in the world. _Why is it that Ichiru isn't here but Zero is? _The brunette wondered, letting her mind wander and forgetting completely about her exam. 

"Cross," Came the Class President's voice from behind her. 

Yori tapped Yuuki on her shoulder. "The Class President's calling you." 

The brunette looked behind her only to flinch at the hostile aura coming off of her fellow classmate. 

"I've just received the results of the final exams for five subjects and as expected... _OUR CLASS DID THE POOREST!_" The yell sent a shiver down Yuuki's spine. "I heard that all you did was write your name on the answer sheets and left everything else blank! Because of you, my class is to do backstage preparation." 

The boy was enraged and began running away. "It's your fault if I can't dance with Ruka-san! If only Ichiru was here!" 

"Yuuki, you did study right?" Yori had to ask. 

"Uh, yes. Ichiru taught me last night but..." 

Even now, the blanks she were drawing confused her to no end.

"Hey, isn't that, that Night Class girl out here again?" 

"Night Class girl...?" Yuuki looked to where Yori was staring, freezing in place as it all came back to her. _How could I forget... Maria-san is...! _

Yuuki ran after the vampire.

... 

"Maria-san, wait!" 

The vampire in question merely slowed down in walking, looking over her shoulder at the brunette perfect with an innocent smile. "Yuuki-san, is this the hall where the dance will be held?" 

"Don't play innocent," Yuuki grabbed Maria's wrist, stopping the girl in her tracks. "What did you do to Ichiru?" 

Maria let the smile drop. "For now, he's fine. But soon enough, he'll turn into a Level E vampire and won't listen to a thing you'll say. However... I know a way to save Ichiru from that fate." 

Yuuki's eyes widened at Maria's next sentence.

"How about we make a deal?" 

... 

Elsewhere, a figure began to writhe in their sleep. 

Images flashed by, nothing good coming out of the content shown. Zero's sleeping figure began to writhe even more, mixing in gasps of pain and groans of discomfort. Words spilled from his lips but they were mumbled messes of something important. From the sidelines, a mirror image watched carefully. Ichiru knew there was something wrong with his brother, noting how last night's events had bothered him. Even now, he couldn't help but feel useless as Zero continued through his pained sleep. 

"_No, don't...!_" 

Amethyst eyes snapped open, the strangled plea had Ichiru jumping up from his spot on the bed. Zero bolted upward, eyes held wide open and fluttering around as if unfocused.

"Aniki, what's wrong?" Ichiru sat on the bedside with a concerned look on his face. 

Zero didn't even turn to look at him, taking deep gulps of air. "You... Hime, she... Please, Ichiru... The Red Queen... She's ignored... Ah!" 

Seeing his brother go hysterical over something he couldn't comprehend sent a twinge in his heart. Ichiru held Zero by his shoulders, forcing the elder twin to look into his eyes. 

"Aniki, focus on my voice." He said calmly. "C'mon, just focus... I can't do anything, not with you like this." 

Zero complied and moments later, he was calm enough to fall back asleep. Ichiru ignored the death grip on his sleeves, guiding his brother to lay back down on the bed. Something happened with Yuuki, that much he was sure of.

"Ichiru, please..." 

"Don't worry Aniki." Ichiru smoothed down Zero's hair. "I'll take care of it. Go back to sleep." 

"'kay..." 

... 

A roll of tape rolled down to the floor, coming to a stop at brown boots. 

"Hey, can you get that for me?" Called the girl to the brunette. 

Yuuki looked down at the tape and picked it up, handing it to the girl on the latter. She received a thanks for her minor deed and began to walk away when the doors to the room opened, revealing one panting Ichiru Kiryuu at the doorway. He looked around for someone, spotting the brunette and approaching her quickly. Before Yuuki can ask what he needed, Ichiru grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away. Ichiru ignored all her questions and dragged her into a separate room, closing the door behind them. 

"Ichiru, what's going on?!" 

Ichiru turned around to face Yuuki. "You were there last night, weren't you?" 

"Where's 'there'?" Yuuki retorted, causing Ichiru to snort. 

"Okay, be like that. But you have done something that has worried Aniki. So much so that he awoke nearly hysterical, telling me to go and find you." 

"What...?" Yuuki grabbed Ichiru's arm. "Is Zero okay? Why was he so hysterical?" 

"Aniki is fine, I don't know why he was hysterical but he was more worried about you than himself." 

"_You_ look more worried about him than yourself," Yuuki frowned. "Are you alright? You seem more pale than before. You know you can do as you wish, right?" 

Yuuki pulled out a scrunchie and pulled her hair back. "If you need to, you can take it anywhere you want. Just don't spill so much, okay?" 

Ichiru grinded his teeth, while he was _starving_ that wasn't the problem right now. He wanted to figure out what Yuuki had done to drive his brother into a corner. The sight of exposed flesh only served as fuel to this growing desire to feed. But he knew he wasn't going to get any further information from Yuuki as of this moment. With no hesitation, Ichiru gripped Yuuki's wrist and slammed her against the door. The brunette said nothing and felt merely a sting as his fangs sunk into her flesh. 

Once Ichiru pulled away, Yuuki said something absolutely absurd. 

"How... How does it taste, Ichiru?" 

Ichiru looked down at her with blood staining his lips and narrowed eyes. "What does that have to do with anything?" 

Yuuki could only shiver as Ichiru leaned back down for more. 

... 

When Ichiru left their shared room, Zero changed. 

His once tense body relaxed immediately, his expression fell blank as those eyes refocused with determination. While Zero wouldn't put on such a show, he needed Ichiru to stop acting like a watchdog and focus it on more important things- like getting some sustenance before he fell over with hunger. Honestly, with all that Zero does for others, they continuously refuse to take care of their bodies. 

_No matter_, Zero thought as he left the dorms. _I'll just have to play my cards right and then, everyone will be happy._

As he walked, Zero recalled the words exchanged by the Red Queen and the brunette. While the Red Queen had caught such a unique butterfly in her trap, she hadn't accounted for what the King would do in retaliation. Yuuki was an important piece in this game, both sides vying for her attention to have her on their side. 

"_Give yourself to me, or bring me the corpse of Kaname Kuran_..." Zero recalled. "Trying to play outlandishly. How uncouth." 

Zero was just going to have to show everyone how the game is played.

_ Chapter 18: END _


	21. Shall We Dance?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for the annual dance yet not everybody is excited for tonight's events.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An update.  
Now, I must say that I have recently passed the 30th chapter mark (surprising!) and that the 30+ chapters will be one hell of a ride. My passion is overflowing with the need for plot twist, plot twist and more plot twists. It is also where the chapters will deviate a lot from the original and continue to become different from there. Minor things still happen though, so you will know what will remain. Sadly, I have you readers on the late teens and early 20s chapters on here. Do not worry, I won't leave you in suspense for too long. 
> 
> Do enjoy.

Yuuki looked at her reflection as she fixed the uniform ribbon. 

Tonight was the dance and here she was, dressed in uniform and ready to perform her nightly duties. Yuuki sighed before schooling her expression into one filled with determination. She had already decided what she was going to do- Yuuki was going to make her choice tonight. 

"Are you ready, Yuu-" Yori paused mid sentence, spotting Yuuki's outfit. "Eh? You're going to the dance in uniform? Even though we're backstage workers, we can still take turns to dance, you know?" 

Yuuki smiled. "Yeah but the Chairman had told me that he's counting on us perfects to keep the hall safe. So I can't prepare backstage anyways." 

"How cruel... Does that mean you can't have fun?" 

"No, nothing like that..." Yuuki spotted the wrapped box in Yori's hands. "Oh, who's that for?" 

Yori presented the box to the brunette. "It's for you."

"From who?" Yuuki took the box from her hands and opened it, spotting a dress and a note. She blushed as she found who it came from. "Oh, it's from Kaname-senpai..." 

Somewhere else, Zero was opening a similar box. Inside was an suit for the dance in complementing colors to his natural coloring and an unexpected note written in familiar handwriting. 

"Oh dear..." Zero placed a hand on the side of his face. "It seems that Kaname has given me an outfit. How kind of him." 

"That bloodsucker did _what?!_" Ichiru stumbled into the room from the bathroom. "Aniki! Don't you even dare think to wear that!" 

"Hm... I think I will." 

"_Aniki!_" 

... 

Ichiru leaned his back against the wall, staring into the distance as he recalled the past events. _I was only able to calm down after taking Yuuki's blood as much as I wanted... _Ichiru lifted a hand to his mouth. "How disgusting..." 

"What's disgusting?" A voice startled the younger twin. 

Lilac eyes blinked and turned to Zero, dressed nicely in a three piece suit of light lavender and white. A white carvat tucked neatly into his vest with white roses placed behind both of his ears. Zero smiled, stepping further into Ichiru's vision. 

"No need to answer, little brother. I already know." His eyes twinkled mischeviously. "You weren't able to wear your outfit. Disgusting, simply unheard of!" 

"Aniki!" The younger twin let out a laugh, the first time for the night. 

"What?" Zero chuckled. "I'm only speaking the truth. Oh, I know exactly what will cheer you up." 

Zero pulled the white rose from behind his left ear, placing it into Ichiru's breast pocket. "There!" He beamed, fixing Ichiru's uniform to look more presentable. Zero also smoothed down his hair, humming softly. "Much better. Smile more, my darling Knight, and you'll make all the ladies swoon." 

"Well, I'm not trying to get any ladies." 

"Not even Hime?" 

Ichiru shook his head with a smile. "Not even Yuuki."

"Ha!" 

Seeing Zero's carefree face had made Ichiru forget entirely what had been upsetting him earlier. The two continued to converse until Yuuki's voice caught their attention. 

"Ah, Ichiru, Zero!" Yuuki stopped in front of them. "I didn't think you guys will be here before me." 

"Uwah!" Zero's eyes were practically shining. "You really decided to dress up, Hime!" 

Yuuki wore a simple white dress with matching stockings and heels, a chocker adorned with ribbon and a rose on it . "Y-Yeah... I was able to find the perfect dress. Well, what do you think?" 

"You're beautiful, Hime!" Zero elbowed Ichiru's side. "Right, Ichiru?" 

"Right..." 

Yuuki smiled back shyly. "Thanks. We should go and enjoy the dance at the same time. We don't get to do stuff like this often."

Zero nodded, "Of course. Let's go, Ichiru!" 

Ichiru let himself be pulled by both the other two. 

... 

Not long after the Day Class students settled in, the Night Class entered. 

They caused commotion as this was one of the only times the two classes would intermingle with one another. Many of the male students wore their uniforms, a rose settled in their breast pockets while the female students wore extravagant dresses and elaborate hairstyles with roses pinned into their hair. All in all, they made a beautiful appearance in the hall. 

Yuuki approached Akatsuki Kain shyly. "Um... Excuse me, Kain-senpai... Did Kaname-senpai not come?"

"The President should be by the terrace alone." 

The brunette beamed. "Thank you, Kain-senpai!" 

Kain watched the girl run off to find the pureblood, only to find himself being stared down by Ruka. He blinked, feeling like he had done something wrong with the way the other aristocrat vampire was staring at him. 

"... Was I not suppose to tell her?" 

Ruka looked away. "Whatever." 

"R-Ruka-san," called out a day class student. "I've finished my job with the greatest efforts just for today. Will you dance with me?" 

The two vampires stared blankly at the flustered student before turning to each other. 

"Go do your best, Ruka. It's to enhance frieendship. We've always been told so by the Chairman, remember?" 

"No way!" Ruka denied, making the student cry at the rejection. "Why would I dance with a guy I don't know?!"

... 

Yuuki looked around the terrace before spotting who she was looking for. 

"Kaname-senpai!" The girl beamed at the pureblood who smiled back at her. 

"Good evening, Yuuki." Kaname greeted with a nod. "I am pleased to see you wearing the dress." 

"O-Oh, I wanted to tell you my thanks for the dress. It's so pretty and I couldn't help but wear it! So..." Yuuki bowed hastily. "Thank you!" 

Kaname stared at her, something that prolonged until Yuuki rose back up. He seemed to be deep in thought before saying something to her. 

"Is something wrong...? You look weird, Yuuki." 

"Eh?" Yuuki cupped her face with both hands. She looked weird? What was that supposed to mean?

Kaname chuckled, "I'm just kidding, Yuuki. You're stunning tonight. That dress looks so nice on you." 

Yuuki could only blush as Kaname approached her, gently taking her hand in his. He gazed at her so tenderly when he asked her, "Would you dance with me? Think of it as thanks for the dress." 

She nodded and felt nothing but pure happiness when the pureblood pulled her close by her waist. 

... 

"Music is such a wonderful creation, isn't it?"

Ichiru turned to his brother. Zero watched as other people danced with a wistful expression, almost as if recalling a long lost memory with music. Ichiru had always wondered why his brother would get those looks of nostalgia and sorrow when nothing in his life thus far could garner such attention? Sure, he may reminisce about the family they had but not even Ichiru gave such expressions. 

There was always something more... 

A hand snatched up his wrist and pulled him to the dance floor. Ichiru could only look at his brother in bewilderment as he was made to dance the male's role. 

"No need to brood, not when you have me by your side." Zero laughed as Ichiru twirled him. "Aniki will make everything better, so don't be upset that Yuuki can't dance with you." 

Zero continued laughing as he moved back to dodge Ichiru's hand.

Unknown to Ichiru, Zero was sending longing looks to the dancing couple on the terrace. Phantom figures dancing where the pureblood and perfect danced on, the faint sounds of light laughter and chaste kisses only cemented the feeling in Zero's chest. 

... 

"Kaname-senpai...?" 

The pureblood hummed, acknowledging the brunette's call. 

"Why are you missing the beat?" 

"Ah, that's because I'm not listening to the music." Kaname smiled gently down at her. "Let us dance slowly, just like the old times..."

"You're right..." Yuuki looked down, becoming lost in the memory. "Back in the past, I could only dance slowly since I had just learned how to dance the waltz..." _I never imagined that I would be able to dance with him like that again... _

However... Yuuki stopped dancing and gripped the front of Kaname's blazer. "You're mean, Kaname-senpai. Until when do you intend to treat me like a child?" 

"I do not have any intention to." He responded swiftly. 

"Really?" Yuuki's bottom lip trembled. "But you were the one who made me sleep and tampered with my memory, weren't you? Keeping me away from that place just like stopping a child from poking their nose..." 

"No, that isn't it, Yuuki." Kaname embraced the girl. "I'm not treating you like a child, I just wanted to protect you. In that scenario, I did what I thought was best." 

... 

"Wasn't that fun, Ichiru?" 

Ichiru leaned against the wall, catching his breath. For some strange reason, Zero had decided to change the pace to a faster one filled with swirls, twists and other complicated footwork. At some point, Ichiru had dipped _and_ been dipped by his brother who didn't even break a sweat all the while. Even now, Zero stood straight and in perfect control of his breathing. 

"H-How in t-the w-world...?" Ichiru was able to ask with gulps of air in between. 

"Would you believe me if I said practice?" Zero smiled with that same mischevious twinkle in his eyes. If Ichiru hadn't known better, he could've sworn that twinkle was brighter than ever. 

"No way in hell." Ichiru deadpanned, causing Zero to cackle. 

"Um..." 

Both twins turned to the girl in front of them. "Ichiru-san... Will you dance with me...?" 

They blinked in unison, exchanging looks with one another as two girls in the back gossiped. 

"Wow, Shindo-san is so brave!" 

"Approaching one of the untouchables of the Day Class, knowing that she'll probably be rejected." 

"You saved me once before so maybe we can just talk...?" The girl seemed hopeful despite her shy demeanor. 

To save Ichiru the embarrassment, Zero gripped Ichiru by the arm and pulled him close. "While Ichiru would love to dance, I'm afraid he's been stuck with nightly duties as a perfect, just like I am." 

"O-Oh. That's okay!" The girl bowed and hastily made her way elsewhere. 

"That was a close call, wasn't it Ichiru?" 

"Aniki..." 

"Yes?" 

"_Shut up._" 

... 

**_If you want to save Ichiru... Would you grant my wish? _Kill _Kaname Kuran._** Maria's voice echoes in Yuuki's head. _**He will only break his guard before you so it's something that no one else but you can do. But if you can't...**_

Yuuki looked up at Kaname with sorrowful eyes. "I'm sorry..." 

She pushed herself away from the pureblood and ran away to where she knew Maria would be waiting for her.

_I don't know why that woman wants Kaname-senpai's corpse but I now know what to do..._

... 

"Kuran-senpai." 

The pureblood in question looked over his shoulder to Ichiru, narrowing his eyes in the process. Ichiru had noticed Yuuki's absence and quickly became concerned as he knew that Yuuki was going to do something so foolish and unnecessary. Kaname said nothing but let the hunter continue. 

"What happened to Yuuki?" 

"... I have told you what your role is, Ichiru. You're Yuuki's shield and you seem to be forgetting that." 

The two had a staredown that lasted a few seconds before Ichiru went sprinting away. He figured it out that Yuuki was definitely going to do something stupid, something that'll put her own life in jeopardy. Kaname continued to stare at the empty space where Ichiru once stood, finding himself growing completely annoyed at the situation... 

_Crack... _

"Oh my," Zero's voice was filled with amusment. "What has gotten your knickers into a twist, beloved King?" 

Kaname let his glare relax. "Just had to do some last minute reminding." 

Zero chuckled lowly, approaching the pureblood from where he stood. The silver-haired perfect wrapped his arms around Kaname's right arm, leaning into the pureblood and resting his head on his shoulder. He felt the pureblood tense but paid no mind to it, humming softly as his hand found itself on top of the larger one. 

"What is it that you want from me, Zero? Showing such intimacy despite your circumstances." 

Zero hummed. "I want many things but right now?" 

They made eye contact, Zero grinning while Kaname remained stoic. The Kiryuu stood on the tips of his toes to whisper softly into Kaname's ear. 

"_I want to_ _**play**_." 

... 

"So it's here..." 

Aidou Hanabusa and Kain Akatsuki stood in front of the large piece of ice embedded between the walls above them. Inside was a woman, long silver hair flowing down her back as she wore a traditional kimono of white with accents of lavender and pink. 

"The Madly Blooming Princess, Hio Shizuka..." 

Kain stared at it with slightly wide eyes. "It's as you said, almost as if she has thrown away her body..." 

Aidou frowned, looking deep in thought. "But why would she do such a thing..." 

"I don't think that's any of your business." 

Both vampires turned to the intruder.

... 

Maria stared at the huffing brunette in front of her.

"You've finally decided, huh?"

Yuuki gulped. _I knew my answer from the very beginning... _"If you know how to save Ichiru... I want your help. Even if I have to give myself to you in exchange." 

The vampire stared, sensing the girl's determination. She held out her hand. "Come here." 

Yuuki approached Maria, kneeling in front of her as she placed her hand into the vampire's. Maria held her hand tight, slowly bringing it up to her mouth. "You're such a good girl..." Maria praised. "I thought you'd choose to sacrifice yourself." 

Maria gently nibbled at Yuuki's fingers, licking the fingertips as if tasting a snack. She noticed Yuuki's expression and stopped her ministrations, tilting her head in question. "What is it, Yuuki?" 

"Now that I think about it, it's a good thing that my blood is favorable to vampires... This means that Ichiru will be saved." 

Maria gripped her hand to a painful extent, causing Yuuki to flinch and let out a yelp in both surprise and pain. 

"I'm the one who gave Ichiru such despair." Maria told her with cold eyes. "You grew up so happily, didn't you?" 

Yuuki was thrown onto the couch roughly but made no sound of discomfort. She stared defiantly into Maria's eyes, sending a jolt of nostalgia through Maria. 

"Such defiant eyes, reminds me much of Ichiru when he was just a child..." 

The vampire crawled over Yuuki, gently cupping her face with one hand. "You've been protected so dearly and it makes me envious of you..." 

"Envious of me? You, a pureblood vampire?"

Maria could've laughed in her face. "You think purebloods are happy? That's fine. Our deal has been made, I'll tell you how to save Ichiru..." 

Both girls turned to the doorway and there stood Ichiru, carrying a woman in his arms bridal style. Yuuki's eyes widened, wondering what the hell Ichiru was doing here. 

"Oh? That's surprising..." Maria giggled. "You haven't come across any meddlers, now have you?" 

Ichiru narrowed his eyes. "Your body is fine, don't worry about any damages." 

Maria gently gripped Yuuki's chin, forcing her to stare at the woman in Ichiru's arms. "Look, Yuuki. That's my true body. Now, to save Ichiru..." 

Ichiru's eyes widened, so that's what Zero was so hysterical about. The stupid girl went and made a deal with the damned pureblood! 

... 

"Was it really alright to let Ichiru go?" 

Aidou hummed. "We can't do anything unless we know what Kaname-sama is intending to do." 

Kain sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "You're right. I suppose we should report this."

"Please do so."

... 

"All Ichiru has to do..." 

Maria approached Ichiru, gently grasping the woman's hand. Almost in perfect unison, the woman's eyes opened just as 'Maria's' began to close. Their voices speaking in synchronization. 

"_Is drink my blood._" 

Maria fell to the floor unconscious as the woman was allowed to stand on her own two feet. Ichiru stood there, watching the scene with intense eyes. Yuuki hadn't wanted Ichiru to know about this deal, but Zero most likely had to do something with it. _Zero..._ Yuuki's eyes widened with realization. _That was what Zero was so hysterical about! But how did he know...?_

"Blood...?" 

"Yes..." Hio Shizuka stood tall. "His master, Hio Shizuka's blood. That way, Ichiru would never become a Level E. He will become a true member of the Night." 

Ichiru moved to pick up Maria's body, knowing full well that the girl was innocent in all this and didn't deserve this mistreatment of her borrowed body. Ichiru left the two to their devices despite not wanting to do so. He'll put Maria in a safer place than this... 

Shizuka smiled, "Now, give your blood to little me, I am being chased and need more strength. For that, your innocent blood is necessary." 

Yuuki froze. _Chased? By a hunter?_ "You want strength but if you lay a hand on a student of the academy..."

The pureblood gently ran her fingers against the bite marks on Yuuki's neck before moving it to caress the side of Yuuki's face. "Only your blood will do. You do understand, right? What sinking my teeth into you means?"

Yuuki said nothing as Shizuka leaned close. She was unable to take a bite when Ichiru returned, blade drawn and approaching quickly to slice at Shizuka. 

**CLANG! **

The blade was blocked by Yuuki's Artemis Rod, the brunette standing protectively in front of the pureblood that ruined his and Zero's life. 

"Get back Ichiru, please!"

"Yuuki, do you not know what you're subjecting yourself to?!" Ichiru scowled. "Move out of the way." 

"But..." Yuuki felt tears gather in her eyes. "This woman's the only one who can save you!" 

_Save me...?_

_ Chapter 19: END _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.  
A Kaname/Zero moment with many more like it to come. I may or may not have dropped hints of something behind the scenes in the next chapters. Do tell me if I'm going too fast with how their relationship is developing. If I am to be honest, I plan to drag out tension before delving deep into the emotional and romantic side. The next chapters will be a wild ride of emotions, Last chapter got three comments to which I welcomed with open arms so don't be shy. I'll read them even if I am too much of a coward to reply directly. Any questions can be asked in the comments and will be answered in the notes of next chapter. 
> 
> Until next update...


	22. Break Me Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One thinks they're doing the right thing, another thinks the opposite. But none of them will come out the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm.   
I usually don't say this about my chapters, but this chapter has some... Concerning view points from Ichiru's side of things. I suppose it can be considered as Ichiru and Yuuki's first lover's quarrel? It doesn't last for too long though and might be brought up later on. 
> 
> Do enjoy.

"Save me?" 

Ichiru was almost hysterical at the thought. "This woman will save me?" 

"That's right. If I keep my end of the bargain, I'll be able to end this without you turning into a Level E. If you drink this woman's blood..."

Shizuka watched the scene unfold with amused eyes, her posture relaxed and screaming of dominance. How interesting Yuuki can be when she's so determined. Seeing the clear disbelief and slight despair in Ichiru's eyes was always a pleasant sight. 

"So get back, Ichiru." 

Ichiru scoffed. "Even if this story about drinking her blood is true, I could very much do the same as she's dying in the process. Isn't that right, Shizuka?" 

"Ichiru..." Yuuki bit her lip. _Nothing could ever give me the right to stop Ichiru._ The brunette approached Ichiru and snatched the weapon right out of his hands, dropping it to the floor. 

"Now that things have come to this, are you really going to tell me that it's bad to kill vampires?" 

Yuuki shook her head. "No, it's not like that! But you forget Ichiru..." 

She reached up to place her wrist on Ichiru's tattoo, but was stopped before she could truly place the cold metal onto the side of his neck. He gripped both wrists, body trembling with anger at what Yuuki was trying to do. This girl, she just couldn't listen could she?! She was warned, warned by Zero even and she still chose to ignore it all! 

"Why are you stopping me?" 

Yuuki glared up defiantly with tears in her heads. "_Do not fall into temptation_, Ichiru." 

Silence settled over them both. 

"You..." Shizuka's voice broke in. "You are really tamed by her, you foolish boy." 

Ichiru gritted his teeth at the sound of Shizuka's voice. Before, it had been tame listening to her talk in Maria's voice but now that she was back in her own body... 

"Haha, aren't you finally happy to hear the voice of your master?" Shizuka placed a hand over her chest. "Do you not feel like obeying? It's all because I have returned to my real body that my voice has this power to bind." 

The pureblood walked forward to them. "That's just good. Hold Yuuki like that for a while. You understand, don't you? That the commands given by me are unable to be disobeyed." 

"Ichiru..." Yuuki looked up at him with confusion. "Let go of me." 

She attempted to pull her hands away, but found herself unable to. Ichiru's grip firm and becoming unbelievably tight, sending a jolt of fear down her spine. _What... Why isn't Ichiru letting go? _Yuuki was quickly becoming scared. "You're scaring me, Ichiru..." 

Yuuki twisted around, only to be locked into place and facing Shizuka. "Don't make him do such a thing, I'll be obedient while you take what you want!" 

Shizuka laughed. "Did you really think that if I were to drink only your blood, it would be enough to feed a body starving for years?" 

Instead of reaching for her neck, Shizuka greedily took blood from Ichiru's neck, tilting the hunter's head back for better access. Yuuki looked away from the scene, unable to process what was going on. 

"You said that you wanted only my blood! Stop it! That should be enough already! Why are you doing such cruel things to Ichiru?!" 

Shizuka moved away from Ichiru's neck, leaning down to whisper cruelly into Yuuki's ear. "It's his punishment for being tamed. By you. Telling me that I'm cruel, but who are you to say so?" She gripped Yuuki's chin. "The fact that your decision would torment Ichiru is obvious to my eyes." 

"I... I thought that I'd be okay if I'll be with Ichiru... I wonder if he'll forgive me one day." 

Yuuki was startled when Ichiru's grip on her wrists were gone, the warmth of his body moving away from her as he took a step back. It was almost as if he had regained control of the body he had lost. 

"Not anymore..."

Shizuka didn't even flinch when Ichiru grabbed her by the neck. Neither woman had noticed when he had bent down to pick up his weapon, the blade glinting in the light. 

"It's pointless, Ichiru." Shizuka spoke calmly. "You should just play marionette for now. You can't even put your strength in these fingers around my neck, now can you?"

The pureblood made no more movements when he gripped the neck tighter, lifting up the blade to line it up at Shizuka's heart. Yuuki was easily shoved aside as he forced the blade into the flesh of the vampire. The brunette grabbed his hand holding the blade, preventing the blade from going in any deeper.

"Ichiru, no!" 

Right then and there, Shizuka began to laugh. She laughed hard, madness swirling around in that sudden laughter. She whipped her hand back, freeing herself from Ichiru's grip. "You want to kill me, don't you?" 

Shizuka stared at him with crazed eyes. "I will not die with such a wound." 

Ichiru forced his hand from Yuuki's hold as he began a series of slashes that forced the pureblood backward and spilling more blood. Ichiru wasn't going to let this creature ruin his life any longer, she wasn't going to haunt his every move or make those he cared for suffer for her actions. 

"I'll finish everything tonight..."

The pureblood stood, blood dripping and staining her once pristine white kimono. She didn't seemed bothered by the slashes exposing bits of skin or the blood staining her once innocent appearance.

"Let's put an end to this. I've only lived for this day to come."

Once again, Yuuki stopped Ichiru in his tracks for another dramatic spiel. The girl was adamant on stopping Ichiru, asking if he knew the consequences of further actions in this moment. Ichiru gritted his teeth, growing increasingly frustrated with Yuuki's laspes in moments like this. 

"_Enough_, _Yuuki._" His lilac eyes bore into her, becoming duller and duller in color. "Do you really intend to drag on what has already been set in stone?" 

Yuuki took a step back, stunned at the sudden monotone in Ichiru's voice. While the boy had a naturally chilling tone of voice if needed, she had never heard Ichiru speak to her like that. She was practically frozen in her spot, eyes never leaving Ichiru's. 

"What..." 

"Do you think I haven't thought this through, Yuuki? Have you so little faith in me? Better yet, did you think someone wouldn't have noticed what you were doing?" His voice rose with every question. "Have you thought about what you were doing, Yuuki?!" 

"O-Of course I have-" 

"Apparently not!" Ichiru yelled, the sound echoing in the room. "If you thought this through, I would hate to see what you winging it would bring. Despite me warning- despite _Aniki_ warning you, you went ahead and did it anyways!" 

Ichiru glared down at her with a painful expression. "Well, Yuuki? Are you done yet? Are you done with hurting me with guilt-tripping monologues?" 

"Are you finally done tearing me down?" 

Yuuki could only gulp, looking anywhere but Ichiru. While she had prevented Ichiru from killing Shizuka, she had also incited an anger that she didn't know how to handle...

"I... I don't..." She wrapped her arms around herself. "I... I couldn't let you kill her, not with such a heavy burden on your shoulders. But... She's gone now..." 

Ichiru whipped around, spotting no Shizuka in sight and only a tiny pool of blood. Yuuki made the mistake of looking up at Ichiru when he turned back to her. 

_Hurt. _

_Betrayal. _

_Anger. _

_How **dare** you do this to me? _

_Denying me my deserved right? _

_Do you really **hate** me so? _

Yuuki felt the tears spill as Ichiru let out a heartbreaking scream of anger, distress and betrayal. It clenched at her heart, building that bitter feeling in her throat. Ichiru left the girl alone in her place, going to find the woman who had escaped his grasp for yet another time. 

_ Chapter 20: END _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter has me on edge.   
It's not my best, but it certainly has me thinking that I should've written it in a different way. I expect for mixed reactions and what not. On the other hand, things are progressing. Short Q&A- Do I plan to follow the manga since the anime doesn't cover everything? Why, yes. I am. I don't know how others write fanfiction, but I always have (since starting this fanfiction) a tab open with the VK manga to keep track of what I'm sticking with and what I'm going to change. So I'm really following manga but technicalities, right?   
Any questions can be asked in the comments and answered in the end notes of the next chapter. 
> 
> Until next update..


	23. Before The Close

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before the game ends, there is one more thing left to be done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An update.   
This, is what you all have been waiting for- the Kaname/Zero interaction in which their relationship delves deeper than the mere curiosity. It's also more of a Zero-centric chapter since I'm sure many of you are to enjoy. I am surprised that people have expressed their liking of the extreme changes I've made in Zero's character- changes I was sure would be a bit controversial but this whole fanfiction is a wild ride from start to finish. Ah but I digress. 
> 
> Do enjoy.

"_I want to play._" 

Zero's voice sent a shiver down Kaname's spin. While it wasn't the first time the elder Kiryuu had been so intimately close with him, the moment never failed to serve it's purpose as a siren calling for her prey. The close proximity was seductive, his voice was alluring, and the innocent appearance made it all seem more appetizing. The tactic was a guaranteed success, no matter the purpose it was to serve. 

"You want to play what, Zero?" 

The Kiryuu hummed, pressing closer to the pureblood. "Your game, silly." 

"What game?" 

"Don't play the fool, my King." Zero's voice went cold. "It isn't very becoming of you. This game that you play is dangerous as your carefully placed plans won't always end in success. Not with Yuuki as the piece to capture and win the game." 

Kaname froze. What did Zero know? Even after all this time, everything he knew about Zero was once again thrown out the window. This enigma that always threw a wrench in his plans have caused yet another hole he had to fill. But wasn't this one of the reasons why he has yet to consider Zero an enemy? 

"You know more than you let on, don't you?" 

Zero laughed, letting go of Kaname's arm but never answering his question. The pureblood turned to him, gaze scruitinizing the smaller male in front of him. Zero pressed himself again to Kaname, only this time, they were chest to chest, nose to nose. His breath hitched, a minor movement that Zero had chosen to ignore as they stared into each other's eyes. Zero lifted a hand to gently carress the side of Kaname's face. 

"Do I truly?" Zero's whisper nearly went unheard. "I would like to make a deal with you, Kaname." 

Kaname felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand, Zero saying his name with such familiarity was something he was unused to. He only ever does this when he wants something. 

And oh, does Zero want something, alright. 

"You let me join your game..." 

"In exchange for what?" Kaname asked, almost breathless. 

Zero smiled, looking upward coyly through silver lashes. "_Whatever you desire._" 

Oh, Kaname doesn't need to think twice.

... 

The first time Zero had encountered the person named Hio Shizuka was in a dream. 

Rather than describing it as a dream, it was more of a vision. A princess caged from her very birth, falling into a madness she would've never been able to escape from even if she broke out from her delicately decorated cage. While she was beautiful, she was like a doll with many cracks. Her sanity was overrated, having been broken and torn more times than she could've counted. And of course, Zero was given free front row seats to witness the tragedy that was _Hio Shizuka_. 

The first time Shizuka had encountered the twins together was when Ichiru came back home from training with Yagari. 

Both boys were left on their own, a good distance from their home that could be seen further down the dirt path and past bare trees. Ichiru held his brother's hand tightly, their intertwined fingers swinging back and forth as Zero hummed one of Ichiru's favorite lullabies. 

"Aniki." Ichiru tugged their hands. 

Zero hummed in response. 

"Was it supposed to snow today?" 

The elder twin looked up at the falling substance that resembled snow, quickly reaching up to snatch the object. Upon closer inspection, Ichiru took notice that it wasn't snow- rather, it was a cherry blossom petal. But where would that come from, when all the trees were barren in the cold winter? 

"No, dearest." Zero looked over to the source. "It is the warped blooming of a cherry blossom tree." 

Ichiru followed his brother's gaze, spotting the illuminating tree amongst the bare ones. His gaze later lowered to the woman who stood underneath and he was struck frozen. The woman was beautiful, wearing a kimono that accentuated her pale coloring and astonishing features. However, his eyes were concentrated on the silver streams that curved down her face, a glint of a familiar melancholy in her dull eyes. 

A look he could've sworn he saw on his brother once before. 

"You shouldn't be so fooled, Ichiru." 

"Huh? What do you mean, Aniki?" 

Zero laughed, pulling him away from the scene. "That is a vampire, beloved. You are to be a hunter yet you let such beauty veil your sight?" 

Ichiru flushed red. "S-Shut up!" 

It wasn't his fault that he felt the need to go and comfort the crying vampire who then deeply resembled his brother. 

... 

Against his better judgement, Ichiru had went to confront the woman underneath the cherry blossom tree. 

He couldn't have just left her crying, not when his brother always encouraged gentleman behavior. Besides, her expression was so pitiful that he couldn't help but feel the way he had with his brother. So when he found his chance to comfort her and wipe the tears and melancholy from her eyes, he did. 

For Zero, despite being the brave knight he portrayed himself to be, was just like the sorrowful vampire. 

"So we meet again," the vampire greeted him from the tree branch. 

Ichiru craned his neck upward, seeing the tears. "Why are you crying in a place like this? Has something sad happened to you?" 

The vampire tilted her head. "... What about you? Does something torment you?" 

He frowned. "Yes, something does. I would like to know why you have such a pitiful expression like my brother does?" 

Ichiru hadn't known then, that the vampire he'd try to help would later repay him in cruelty. 

... 

Zero's head snapped upward. 

His ears rang with white noise, eyes unfocused and glassy as images flashed by without a single pause. Amethyst eyes widened as he came back, trembles racking his entire body. His mother was by his side, cupping his face as she stared down at him in terror. While it wasn't the first time something strange has happened with Zero, this was one of the most terrifying things to see and hear for her. 

Once the white noise faded and he regained his vision, he finally took notice of his screaming. 

"Zero!" His mother screamed over him as he gasped for air. "Zero are you alright? You haven't had an episode like that in ages!" 

Zero shook off his mother and went sprinting out of the room with shaky and jelly-like legs. Only Ichiru was on his mind, the hope of catching up to his brother before he was subjected to a fate meant for him. Once outside, Zero encountered the crying vampire from before and alarms went off. 

"Sharp boy..." The vampire commented. "You were aware of my attack even before your parents." 

"You mourn for someone lost, your tragedy will never end." He spat. "That is the curse you will face should you continue down this path." 

"What nonsense..." 

Zero didn't even flinch when she teleported herself behind him with the intent to do some inhumane. 

"I'll give you a destiny more damned than mine." 

"Aniki!" 

Ichiru's voice stopped the woman in her tracks. They turned to the entrance where Ichiru and their parents stood with weapons drawn. Zero smiled bitterly, knowing full well what was to come. 

"Scarlet Cherry, Shizuka?" 

_So Ichiru had confronted the vampire..._ Zero closed his eyes as the pureblood leaned close to his neck. The Kiryuu hunters sprinting forward to save their son while Ichiru stood their shell shocked at what was happening. Shizuka shoved Zero to the ground to quickly deal with the hunters who had killed her beloved. 

"You eliminated that man so I will return the favor." 

And so began the bloodbath that orphaned the Kiryuu twins and condemned them to a life of tragedy. 

... 

"Your wound is horrible, isn't it, Shizuka?"

Hio Shizuka stops in her tracks at the sound of another pureblood's voice. There stood Kaname Kuran leaning up against the window sill of a nearby wall. She doesn't say much, opting to stare at her fellow pureblood who knew something she didn't.

"Against troublesome vampire weapons, even our abnormal healing is limited."

"Kuran's son. Why are you here?" Shizuka asked.

"This bedroom was the first I occupied when I entered this school."

"I see... As for me, there is nobody here to disturb me."

Kaname watched as Shizuka wrapped bandages around her body. "Well then, let me ask you one more time. What brings you to this school?"

Shizuka hummed. "To return a favor. Also, because this is an appropriate place to get what I want."

The brunette pureblood took a step forward, embracing Shizuka in an entirely unintimate hug. "Actually, I would probably have done the same as you."

The woman barely had time to process what was happening when she felt a sharp pain stab through her chest, blood splattering everywhere as yet another wound was added to her body.

"Like you, Lady Shizuka... _I do it all for myself_."

In the shadows, Kiryuu Zero smiled as Hio Shizuka's galaxy descended into darkness.

_ Chapter 21: END _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And scene.   
Well, what did you think? Did you like what I did with their interaction? No? Well... I have zero experience in the romantic/seduction field so do excuse me if it hadn't appealed to you. What Zero and Kaname compromised may or may not have been hinted in the next chapter. More drama and plot twists to come, so look forward to that my lovely readers! Any questions can be asked in the comments and answered in the end notes of the next update.  
Until next update...
> 
> I do not ask this often, but how was your day, whenever you're reading this?


	24. First Round End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the first round of the game comes to an end, the victors and losers are decided. Now, it's time for another player to enter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahem. An update.  
So, I am being productive lately, which is great. On the other hand, more Kaname/Zero interaction at the end and what a mess that is. I am buzzing with excitement on the chapters I'm currently working on- oh, I can go on and on but it would just be repetition at this point. Writing this fanfiction is both fun and a stress-reliever, so don't worry about me ever abandoning it. I plan to stick to it until the end and continue writing more fanfiction after one is finished. No work will be left unfinished! But I digress... 
> 
> Do enjoy.

"You don't seem to be surprised much." 

Zero's voice startled the woman, her head snapping upward as she spotted the elder twin who had once predicted her now occurring demise. She schooled her expression, allowing it to remain stoic despite the hand shoved into her chest. Zero walked out of the shadows and in front of Shizuka, sandwiching her between the two men.

Gently, Zero traced around Kaname's hand. "I suppose you were thinking to take Kaname's life?" 

"I was also planning to make Yuuki Cross an assassin for my benefit." 

Kaname looked up at Zero, eyes making contact as they engaged in a silent conversation. With a slight nod, Kaname's hand slid back into Shizuka's body, the fingers wrapping around the beating heart of his fellow pureblood. Her eyes widened, the grip so painful that she began to tremble slightly. 

"Do you feel it?" Kaname's velvet voice cooed. "This is your heart and if I take it out right now, what do you think will happen? Right now, your healing abilities are limited due to Ichiru's blade. Even though you're a pureblood, you are already ceasing to exist..."

Shizuka narrowed her eyes. "What a dirty trick..." Lavender eyes met aware sangria ones. "You were already aware of this outcome, weren't you?" 

Zero smiled and said nothing, letting Kaname do all the talking.

"Besides, it is foolish to try and outwit an unhurt pureblood," Kaname mocked. "If purebloods were equal, then a battle would just end in a stalemate. But I still wanted that pure blood of yours. You needed mine as well. That's why you tried to make use of Yuuki, am I right?" 

Shizuka let out a soft laugh. "Only death awaits the loser of this game. If you let me live, that girl will die in my place one day." 

Kaname gripped Shizuka by the chin and lifted her head, giving him more access to her neck. "Shizuka-san... Your life, I will claim and use that and all my power to protect Yuuki." 

... 

Ichiru stalked down the corridor with a running-wild mind.

He couldn't believe what Yuuki had done, letting the woman run off. The very woman who had killed their parents, orphaned them and given him a fate worse than death. Ichiru thought back to Yuuki's expression when he had left her- such a hopeless expression was bound to tug at his heart strings but all he felt was a numbing emptiness. Yuuki had known how much pain the woman had brought him and his brother, yet she had done him so? 

_To think..._ Ichiru gritted his teeth as he made a turn around a corner. _That I thought I could've trusted her like I trusted Aniki. _

Ichiru wasn't going to let this betrayal slide. If anything, it created a rift that he wasn't sure either party could fix. 

Only Zero would be able to fix this. The big brother who had taken care of him with a smile on his face, always had a solution to any problem presented. It was how Ichiru had survived this long in the first place... He would've given up even with Yuuki's help... Unknown to Ichiru, silver streams of tears began to curl down his face. A pain worse than Hio Shizuka's existence gripping painfully at his heart. 

All this was ignored in favor of finding Shizuka and gaining his rightful revenge.

... 

Zero didn't flinch when Kaname bit into Shizuka's neck. 

While it wasn't common knowledge, Zero knew that other purebloods would cannibalize their own few to gain certain powers of others. In a dog-eat-dog world, this kind of practice shouldn't be unexpected but it was a zealously guarded secret, only a few hunters baring witness to such practice. Because there are so few purebloods, it wasn't done... Until now, that is. 

Shizuka only stared at Zero with half-lidded eyes, beginning to monologue about first meetings and impressions. 

"It's so strange that such a thing is happening between us three... Meeting both of you as children, you both were the opposite of your nature's. Zero being an odd hunter child and Kaname, an unusual vampire. Now..." 

Her monologue was interrupted when her body jerked, Kaname's hand roughly pulling out of her body, dragging along her heart with it. Kaname had shown no restraint in yanking the once beating organ through her. What's even more disturbing is the fact that she was staring into the one who had predicted her death years prior before these events. 

If she thought she had seen cruel, she didn't until now. 

Zero's eyes were empty, void of any emotion as if savoring the moment and engraving it into his very memory. His lips tilted upward in a twisted smile, a demented version of the dreamy smile that he had greeted her with once before as he foretold of her death. 

_Ah... You knew from the very start yet you let me suffer so. _Shizuka couldn't help but think. _You are so cruel. _

Her body fell, Kaname's single-arm holding it up. "I will not waste your life." He told her. 

Shizuka stared up at Kaname as she laid on the floor. "Wherever you go... Nothing but darkness will follow." 

Zero blinked, approaching Kaname who knelt beside the dying woman. He cupped the side of the brunette's face, letting his thumb rub soothing lines on the soft flesh. Kaname glanced up at him but said nothing. 

"She is right, beloved King." Zero tilted his head. "While you earn a newfound strength, you have summoned a future beyond your control." 

Kaname hummed. "Yes, I know." 

From outside the room, Hanabusa Aidou stood with wide eyes. _Kaname-sama killed Hio Shizuka. And the perfect Kiryuu Zero watched it all happen..._

... 

Ichiru froze. 

The scent of blood became stronger and he knew something was happening. Shizuka's scent had been strong but it would only become stronger if she was further wounded and more blood had been spilled. Ichiru picked up his pace, knowing he was missing his opportunity- that someone was taking his opportunity away from him! 

He followed the scent, practically running at this point to at least witness the end of a woman that haunted him so. 

Ichiru kicked open the door where he saw Shizuka's bloodied body and surprisingly, his beloved brother standing over her. Zero hadn't any blood nor any weapon on his person, so someone else must've had a hand in killing the pureblood. He suspected Kaname Kuran might have something to do with it, but he wasn't going to get anywhere with that idea. 

"Aniki..." 

Zero lifted his head and looked over his shoulder. He greeted Ichiru with a smile that quickly faded as amethyst eyes settled upon something on his face. Zero approached him, quick to lift a hand and wipe something wet off of his face. 

"Ichiru... Did something happen?" 

The twin in question blinked. "No...?" 

He gained a stern glare for his answer. "Do not lie to me, Ichiru. Only something emotionally distressing would cause you to cry unconsciously. Just like that time long ago." 

"I'm... Crying?"

Zero's expression softened with fondness and a brotherly love that he knew Ichiru loved basking in. "My poor baby, who hurt you so?" 

"I..."

"Come here." Zero pulled the taller twin into an embrace, his arms wrapping around Ichiru's neck as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Go on, tell Aniki what happened. I won't judge you, you know that." 

Ichiru said nothing, watching as Shizuka's body crackled, leaving trails of dark cracks all over her visible skin. The vampire's body exploded into a million shards of ice, scattering about on the floor. Upon seeing Hio Shizuka's existence ending, Ichiru finally felt the dam breaking. A choked sob escaped him, all the emotions he had put aside while chasing the now dead pureblood coming back with a vengeance. He returned Zero's embrace, burying his face into the long silver strands and wetting them with his tears. 

"Aniki, it hurts... Why does it hurt?" 

Zero continued to comb his fingers through Ichiru's hair, knowing full well why Ichiru felt this way. It all hurt because Ichiru was once attached to Shizuka and somehow, Yuuki had done something so terrible that Ichiru felt betrayed and heartbroken. Call it a brother's intuition, but Zero figured Yuuki was the straw that broke the camel's back. 

"Don't worry about the why." Zero ignored the clench in his heart. "It'll get better, so don't cry. You know you make Aniki hurt so much when you cry."

The door creaked open and from Zero's angle over Ichiru's shoulder, he spotted Akatsuki Kain and Yuuki in the doorway. Kain observed the scene, spotting Ichiru's blade and the scattered pieces of what once was Hio Shizuka. He put two and two together and went to say something, but was quickly stopped when he noticed the hostility radiating off of the elder Kiryuu. 

_Don't you dare_, his eyes seemed to be saying. _Or I will make Hio Shizuka's orchestrated death seem like child's play. _

Kain wisely said nothing. 

... 

Kaname stood over his chessboard. 

A dagger was imbedded into the white chess piece, said piece cracking because of the sharp tip. He was reminded of Shizuka and the game they had played. While it had been fun, it had to end one way or another. And it ended with Kaname's victory ensured and another prize added to his winnings. 

_How pitiful_, he remembers Shizuka telling him from behind the cage. 

_You are the 'Madly Blooming Princess' who grew up in a cage?_ He retorted back, unafraid of her appearance. 

_Born as the next leader of the Kuran Clan, how pitiful._ Was all she said, almost as if she had meant it. 

"Are you done reminiscing, Kaname?" 

Kaname looked over his shoulder at the perfect. Zero stood by the window, having long abandoned his blazer, the first few buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned and exposing the pale expanse of Zero's neck. Kaname could almost remember the sweet scent of the perfect's blood from long ago, the beast inside stirring for the desert placed in front of him. But that was a part of the deal that would come later. Zero smiled sweetly at him, tilting his head to the side to expose more of his neck. 

He held out both hands, beckoning Kaname to come closer. 

"I think it's time I upheld my end of the bargain, no?" 

Kaname didn't waste a second from approaching the perfect like a predator to its prey. This game has only begun. 

_ Chapter 22: END _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Done.   
We're going somewhere with our main couple, so that's a plus. More divergence in later chapters, though they begin to truly diverge with Rido Kuran's arrival. Shizuka's arrival was merely the warm-up. Any questions can be asked in comments and will be answered in the end notes of the next chapter. 
> 
> Until next update.


	25. First Round Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With their first hurdle eliminated, the game appears to come to a standstill... If only it would stay like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update.   
Might just consider going back to my two day updates, mood has been elevated now that I am slowly getting things off my conscious one by one. I am thinking of posting this on Wattpad as well... Any thoughts on that? Fun fact, I actually like to spoil my story for one of my dearest friends who doesn't have the time to read it herself and she is thoroughly enjoying what I have... Either that or my very explicit and funny way of explaining it to her. 
> 
> Do enjoy.

The teacher droned on about her lesson. 

Yuuki did her best to listen, taking notes on what was being said. Although the events of the dance party weighed heavily on her mind, she couldn't let this bother her. The change was so sudden that Yori took notice of this change in attitude and decided to comment on it with a chuckle. 

"You've become diligent all of a sudden after the dance." She teased. "Look at you taking notes seriously? Have you learned your lesson?" 

"Ahaha, I guess I've learned my lesson..." Yuuki sighed. "But I'm also doing it for Ichiru and Zero since they can't attend classes right now. Perhaps it's my own sort of atonement?" 

Yuuki ignored the clench of her heart.

... 

"Where do you think you're going, Ichiru?" 

Zero's voice made Ichiru pause in his actions. He cursed under his breath as he knew immediately that Zero was going to stop him from going out. Ichiru looked over his shoulder at his twin who had his eyes closed, laying on his side in Ichiru's bed. While they usually slept in separate beds, they began to share one bed upon recent events. 

"Back to bed, Aniki." He lied. 

"Is that so?" Zero rolled on his back. "I didn't know you required a full uniform to sleep." 

"Why is it so hard to believe that I want to continue my job as perfect?" Ichiru sighed, 

"Yes." Zero's deadpanned reply earned him a glare. "Especially when you broke down in my arms like that. And you still haven't told me what truly triggered that meltdown." 

Ichiru flinched, the one topic he had avoided since Shizuka's death. While he knew he overreacted with Yuuki's supposed betrayal, he was experiencing such emotional turmoil about a sensitive topic. Yuuki's selfless desires were well meaning, but it wasn't really appreciated at that time. Him killing Shizuka himself would've caused trouble and he had Yuuki to thank for that. If only he could actually talk to her. 

"Would you tell me why Kuran's scent was all over you?" He retorted instead. 

Zero's eyes snapped open. "Now that? That is cruel. But if you have to know, I had to talk with Kaname before I came back to our room." 

"So it's Kaname now, huh?" Ichiru bristled, what the hell was up with this change in relations? 

"Just drop it, Ichiru. My affairs with Kaname isn't what is important here. It's your mental state that is." 

Ichiru sighed. "I'm fine now, Aniki. You don't have to worry anymore." 

Zero wasn't convinced but he let it be, making Ichiru sigh in relief. He crawled into bed with his brother and curled up against the other like a child to its mother. Ichiru will just take a nap before facing the day. 

... 

A knock on the door woke up Zero. 

The elder Kiryuu yawned, feeling something tickle the underneath his chin. He was greeted with a head full of silver hair, immediately becoming aware of the hold Ichiru had on him. _Seems like Ichiru is still distressed_, Zero thought fondly as he removed himself from the hold. He tiptoed across the floor, making small squeaking noises at how cold the floor was. He opened the door and was faced with the nervous eyes of Yuuki. 

Zero greeted her with a dreamy smile. "Hello, Hime. I suppose those are notes are from today?" 

"Uh, yeah. I took them straight from the board." Yuuki answered with a lopsided smile as Zero flipped through the pages. 

"Very good notes, Hime!" He praised, making her turn a pink color. "But I'm sure I'm not really the one you want to see, huh?" 

Yuuki's expression fell. "I... I wanted to talk to Ichiru and apologize for something I've done that night Shizuka died..." 

"Hm... So you _did_ do something that triggered his meltdown." 

She flinched, knowing that Zero hadn't meant any hostility in it. In the end, she ended up telling him what had happened that night up until Ichiru's meltdown. Yuuki looked up at Zero who stared down at her with a complex expression, as if thinking deeply before letting his face relax into his usual daydream smile. Instead of scolding her, he ended up patting her head as if consoling her. 

_Why...?_ She couldn't help but think. _I hurt Ichiru, so why aren't you mad at me?_

Almost as if hearing her question, Zero began to explain.

"While I know you meant well in letting Shizuka escape, that wasn't something Ichiru was thinking about. Ever since that attack on our family, Ichiru has only harbored hatred, disgust and pain- any other emotion had been locked inside. With you attempting to go and give yourself because of him, piled onto his feeling of vengeance and being so close to it, he didn't know what to feel." 

Zero let his hand slide to cup the side of her face. "You meant well dearest but to Ichiru, that meant taking away an outlet. An outlet he unfortunately found in your supposed betrayal. So don't worry yourself, Hime. Ichiru has been wanting to apologize about it ever since." 

Yuuki brightened up at that last sentence. Ichiru wanted to apologize? So their relationship wasn't completely ruined. "You always know how to fix the situation, Zero. I don't know what I would do without you." 

Zero laughed, "I'm sure you wouldn't. Now go on, me and Ichiru will catch up with you on patrol tonight." 

"Okay!" 

The brunette ran off, much happier than before. Zero watched her before closing the door and turning around. He leaned back against the door with his hands behind him. 

"So what will you do, Ichiru? Will you let her slip away or will you confront your emotions head on?" 

Ichiru said nothing and only gripped the sheets tighter. 

... 

  
"... There I found Kiryuu Ichiru in the embrace of Kiryuu Zero, standing beside the corpse of Hio Shizuka that shattered into pieces." _And I also got threatened into silence by Zero_, was left unsaid in Kain's report. "That was all seen by my eyes, that is the report."

"I see," Kaname said, head held up by his hand. "The reason why the Ichiru would want to kill that woman is clear enough. I don't believe that Ichiru is foolish enough to do such a thing. But if that's the case, then it cannot be helped. It appears that he killed that woman." 

Aidou stared down hard at his lap, knowing that it wasn't Ichiru who had killed Hio Shizuka and there was only two other people who could testify to that. _But would they do such a thing?_ Aidou wondered. _Especially Kiryuu Zero who loves his brother so much to commit murder._

"What's wrong, Aidou?" 

The blond aristocrat jumped, snapping his head upward. "Nothing is wrong..."

Kaname narrowed his eyes but made no comment. "Whatever the truth is, I have to report it to the senior council. As it is, that 'someone' has committed a taboo and killed a pureblood. What a pity... I wonder if there was someone who truly understood the 'Madly Blooming Princess'."

... 

"Is it okay to be skipping class?" Kain asked. 

Aidou trailed behind the other vampire with a solemn expression, after that meeting with Kaname, he didn't know what to think as of this moment. "I don't feel like taking classes..."

Kain sighed. "I can only think that something happened just by that attitude of yours."

"Hey, Akatsuki... How much do you know about Hio Shizuka?"

"She can't be controlled for one, thus making herself a dangerous existence for both vampires and humans alike." He began in monotone. "After becoming mad, she attacked the Kiryuu family then disappeared before making an appearance here. That's all I know."

Aidou looked down to the ground. "She's treated as trouble but in a way, it's very vampire-like. However, she was still a rare pureblood and once had a fiancé of her same kind. I was once told this story by my father... While Shizuka had a pureblood fiancé, she became very fond of a human by her side. To be correct, he was an ex-human and a vampire and it was said that she loved that servant. One day, that servant's name was voted on the list to be liquidated by the Hunters Association and it just so happens to be the Kiryuu's to do the job. But that man wasn't a level E at that time." 

Kain frowned. "Normally, he wouldn't be a hunter's target to be liquidated yet..." 

"Right," Aidou closed his eyes. "But the reality is, his name was on the list and the Kiryuu's got the job done. I don't think they knew that the target was Shizuka's lover. Then, there was the massacre on the Kiryuu estate." 

"So the big issue here is that a pureblood just acted on her will and opposed hunters. The majority of the nobles are not in favor of fighting. It can't be helped that she's called mad. The Senior Council must've been after Shizuka and have been trying to find her whereabouts." Kain deducted.

"Yes, she was running away from the Senior Council which leaves this question... Why would she risk herself to come to Cross Academy, a place where she knew she wouldn't be welcomed?"

"Isn't it because of her madness?" 

"No..." Aidou shook his head as he was reminded of the scene with Kaname killing Shizuka. "That's not it. There was something she wanted but wasn't her revenge accomplished four years ago?" 

Kain could only stare at Aidou's perplexed expression. 

... 

Yuuki hopped over the fence and landed on the other side. 

_I think I saw a figure somewhere over here..._ She thought, looking around for whomever she saw. Yuuki heard the soft press of grass underneath someone's foot and turned to see a dressed man with glasses, immediately becoming aware that something wasn't right with this scene. 

"Excuse me, this is Cross Academy, correct?" He gave her a smile. "Ugh, I came by after overtime work, so it has become so late..." 

_While that's something a normal business man would say but..._ Yuuki furrowed her brows. "You're a vampire, right?" Once she felt the man's demeanor change, she extended her Artemis Rod as his nails elongated to a dangerous point. 

"Oh, I see... You're a guardian also. Then, there is something I would like to ask you." 

Chocolate eyes narrowed down. He's an enemy. "What is it?"

He lunged forward. "The whereabouts of the other guardian."

**BANG! **

The vampire jumped backwards, barely avoiding the bullet that would've ended in his death. Yuuki blinked, looking at the familiar glowing symbol on the ground below. Both eyes turned to the elder Kiryuu who stood there with such a solemn expression. The vampire pushed up his glasses, narrowed eyes looking at Zero with careful eyes. 

"And you are?" 

Zero smiled but it never reached his eyes. "Kiryuu Zero. Now what business does the Senior Council have here?" 

"Well..." The vampire glared. "By the command of the Supreme Institution of Vampires, the Senior Council, the hunter, Kiryuu Ichiru, is sentenced to death

Yuuki's eyes widened. 

_Oh no, that's not good._

_ Chapter 23: END _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter... Huh.   
In the words of one of my commenter's, we have more BAMF Zero that continues into the next chapter alongside some - ahem - Kaname/Zero near the end of that... Working on the latest chapter and I feel like Zero's character has changed drastically, so there's that. Any questions can be asked in the comments and will be answered in the end notes of next chapter- comment even if you don't even have a question. All are appreciated. 
> 
> Until next time...


	26. Command Overridden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are commands and the immediate choice to follow it. Sometimes, there are people who choose to disobey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, 4,000 of you random internet strangers decided to click on my story. Huh.   
That makes me happy, though very confused. I'll roll with it. Ironically, I also reached the 40 chapter mark yesterday (currently on chapter 42) and- well. I find it unfortunate that I have self-control. I didn't think I'd get this far but here I am. When I get 5,000 hits, I'll prepare a drawing with one of the Kaname/Zero scenes already posted OR a sneak peek of the later chapters. But I am digressing. 
> 
> Do enjoy.

"The Council of Ancients wants Ichiru executed?!" 

Yagari slammed his palms against the table, anger written all over his face. He couldn't understand why the Hunter Association were so willing to turn a blind eye to the execution of such a young and promising hunter. "Is this organization going to stay in the sidelines and watch?!" 

The figure remained unfazed. "A pureblood was killed by Ichiru and there are many ways of saying it."

"That 'Great Master' pureblood was on our list but what is almost as strange is the fact that Ichiru is still not recognized as our comrade!" 

"Yagari... How can we put an end to such a matter as the murder of a pureblood?" The figure almost scoffed. "There is no such 'system' in the vampire's society." 

...

"The hunter, Ichiru Kiryuu, has been sentenced to death."

A feeling of numbness washed over Zero. The words of the vampire in front of him repeating itself over and over again. But he refused to accept that this was happening as of this moment. _Ichiru, sentenced, **death**_. Three words and it all sent his world spiraling down. If he didn't have any control over himself, he would've went on a killing spree for such a statement. Starting with the cannon fodder who were sent to kill his brother then up to the high ranked members in the vampire society.

**But**.

Zero exhaled softly. He can't act so brashly. "I see..." 

The vampire took this as a way of explaining their thinking. "We take pride in our duty to protect pureblood nobles of the Council of Ancients, but Kiryuu Ichiru has managed to escape our watch and get his hands on Shizuka-sama. As far as we are concerned, purebloods are a sacred existence. And if anyone should dare as much as inflict a tiny cut, it is expected for an execution to happen, Kiryuu Zero." 

"Such a serious crime should be paid with his mortal life, is that how you vampires truly think?" Zero tilted his head. "Then it seems like I'll just have to prevent you from getting any closer..." 

Sangria eyes looked around at the other vampires. "_All_ of you, if I have to."

_Click_

"Even if you manage to stop us, there won't be any stopping to those ahead of us." 

Zero's eyes narrowed. "You pathetic beings love trying my patience, don't you?" 

Before anybody can initiate the fight, one of the vampires let out a yell of pain as they began to disintegrate into dust. They weren't alone as members of the Night Class surrounded the vampires and the perfects in a closed off circle. Zero turned to the leading pureblood, Kaname Kuran, who briefly made eye contact with the hunter. Zero gave him a smile but his eyes betrayed all. 

_Bastard_, Zero cursed in his mind. _What took you so long? _

"The Council of Ancients has consented to attend this school. It was already an inevitable matter to have that woman hunting for Ichiru." 

Immediately, the vampires the council had sent fell to one knee in respect for the brunette pureblood. "Kuran Kaname-sama!" 

Kaname ignored their actions. "However, the purebloods' sacredness and for the sake of protecting it, why must Ichiru be executed?" 

The vampire who had lunged at Yuuki began to explain. "Kaname-sama, if a pureblood noble such as yourself stands in our way, we will be unable to fulfill our duties. We would like you to leave with your honorable school friends." 

Kaname exhaled. "I thought I had made special efforts to warn against dishonoring this academy with any foolish behavior. Even from the dogs of the Council." 

"Kaname-sama..." He wasn't able to finish his sentence when a blast of air ripped his arm off. 

"Disappear." Kaname ordered and thus, they disappeared back into the forest. 

All the while, Yuuki had stepped closer to Zero. She shuffled close to his back, gripping the back of his shirt as she watched the scene come to a close. _Just what is happening...?_

**The fact that you have defended Kiryuu Ichiru will be reported to the Council of Ancients, Kaname-sama.**

The whispered warning sent shivers down Yuuki's spine. 

... 

"Will you be alright?" 

Yuuki turned her attention to the pureblood who had approached the both of them. She blinked owlishly, her brain slowly processing the past events. The brunette perfect nodded, looking up at the pureblood with large, distressed eyes. 

"Kaname-senpai, Ichiru being their objective isn't a good enough reason for this." 

"I understand that, don't worry..." Kaname reached out and let his fingers gently press against the side of her face. 

His hand was quickly pushed aside, the pureblood barely having any time to say something when Zero came up into his personal space. Those amethyst eyes lacked its usual luster and was instead narrowed down into dark slits of purple. The cold nuzzle of Bloody Rose pressed into the underside of his jaw. The Night Class students tensed, but stayed in place. After all, Kaname had told them that Zero may come for his head for such a late arrival.

"You love taking your sweet time, don't you?" Zero smiled. "My brother's life in danger yet you have these underlings get in such close proximity? Right when Ichiru could sneak out and patrol? I should end you- _right here, right now._" 

Yuuki gaped, "Zero!" 

Kaname smiled. "They wouldn't have been able to get so far, Zero." 

"**Bullshit**." Zero spat, standing on the tips of his toes to purr lowly into Kaname's ear. "If anything were to happen to Ichiru because of any mistakes _you've_ made... I'll **kill** you and everyone on this damned campus and not even your _special powers_ could stop me_._" 

Zero leaned back. "Got that, tiger?" 

Kaname's hands lowered the gun from his jaw with that same calm smile on his face. "Loud and clear, _kitten_." 

Zero scowled with a red face and grabbed Yuuki by the arm, dragging her off somewhere and ignoring the rude comments from the Night Class students.

_Stupid Kaname, stupid vampires... Always interfering in fate's plans..._

... 

"Not long after, Kaname-senpai had those vampires under his influence and ended it..." Yuuki finished her report to the Chairman.

Kaien looked down at his desk in thought. "That was very serious... Thank you for telling me about it, Yuuki."

The man stood up and came from behind his desk, standing in front of the brunette. He gently patted Yuuki's head, knowing full well that she wasn't emotionally stable at this moment. "Thank you for your efforts... And sorry that you had to be forced into such a difficult situation." 

Yuuki rubbed her escaped tears with the back of her hand. "Chairman... Kaname-senpai seems to have taken his stand against the Council of Ancients, will he be alright?" 

Kaien sighed. "The truth is, Kaname-kun reported what had happened to me a little earlier before you came in. From the time that Hio Shizuka hijacked Kurenai Maria's consciousness until what happened today was all according to business."

He closed the book in his hand. "Maria has been sleeping in the dormitory's medical office and while Shizuka left her body, Maria's original personality has yet to awaken."

_The real Maria..._ Yuuki gulped. "Is that so..."

"Dependable, isn't he? Kaname-kun's action may have suggested that he was supporting Ichiru but that gentleness may backfire. Seen as an act of opposition to the Council of Ancients."

"An act of opposition..." 

"It's alright, Yuuki. Even though you don't depend on father, I don't have any intention of staying silent on this." 

"If this keeps up, it might never end, huh?" Yuuki murmured lost in her thoughts. _Kaname-senpai had never said Ichiru is innocent in his words... So..._

... 

"When you're aware of Yuuki-chan's presence, your demeanor changes entirely..." Ichijo looked at the pureblood by his side. "Why do you do that, Kaname?" 

**BAM! **

Ichijo jumped at the loud sound by his ear. He looked to the right and spotted the huge dent in the wall next to him. Ichijo gulped, not at all suspecting such a thing to happen nor for it to truly go through the wall like that. 

"Sorry," Kaname apologized, running a hand through his hair. "I wasn't aware that I used a little too much power. I'll get used to it soon..." 

... 

When Zero entered his shared dorm room, he knew he wasn't going to stay long. 

Zero sighed, walking over to his brother's sleeping figure. The bed dipped underneath Zero's weight, the elder twin looking down at the innocent and child-like expression upon Ichiru's face. With one hand, he ran his fingers through the silver strands, watching as Ichiru stirred and leaned into the touch. So unaware of what had happened and Zero would've liked to keep it that way but knew things never went as planned. 

"I'll protect you, my darling little brother." He whispered with reverence. "Even if I have to become the soul offered to the devil himself..." 

He leaned down to press his lips to Ichiru's temple, taking in the familiar scent that was so similar to his own. Zero pulled away, standing back up to leave. He had other matters to attend to. 

With one last look, Zero whispered incoherently and left. 

Ichiru's eyes fluttered open. _Aniki... What are you doing behind everyone's backs?_ He wondered, feeling an ache in his heart. 

... 

Kaname walked down the hallway, his steps echoing with soft taps. As he approached the corner, he recognized a scent he was slowly becoming acquainted with. 

"How may I help you, Zero?" 

The perfect in question walked up to Kaname from behind, letting his arms slip past the open space between his sides and arms, clasping his fingers together to complete the backward embrace. Zero pressed his chest up against Kaname's back, his soft breaths tickling the side of Kaname's neck as he stood on his toes to not put a strain on his neck. 

"I wanted to apologize for my actions earlier..." Zero said, tightening his grip around the pureblood's waist. "I tend to lose all sensibility when it comes to Ichiru's safety, he's all the family I have left." 

"But that is not what you came to me for." 

Zero laughed, removing his arms as he walked ahead of Kaname. The pureblood watched as Zero stopped a good distance in front of him, back turned to him before he turned around with a mischievous smile upon his face.

"Hm... You're right." Zero told him, letting his blazer fall to the crooks of his elbows. Kaname's eyes began to trail when he saw Zero unbuttoning the first few buttons of his shirt. "I want to join you in your endeavor tomorrow, but nothing is without it's price, no?"

"A quid pro quo." Kaname acknowledged, eyes stuck on the milky skin. "And what is it that you're offering to me now?" 

Zero smiled, "Aren't you getting a little bold?" 

"I've long abandoned subtlety when concerning you, Zero." Kaname replied honestly, approaching the elder Kiryuu. 

"Oh?" 

Cold fingers trailed along the path of Zero's neck. "Last time, you gave me the pleasure of taking what I desired. What makes you think I wouldn't take it by force, this time?" 

Kaname gripped Zero's neck with one hand, applying pressure but not enough to deprive the perfect of oxygen. He leaned down, allowing his nose to nuzzle the underside of Zero's jaw where the scent was strongest. Zero chuckled, making no movement to remove Kaname's hand nor push him away. 

"You wouldn't dare," he purred. "After all, you need what I have to offer. I know things many don't and it makes me a wild card. I suppose the only other thing that's good about me is my perfect appearance." 

"Then..." 

The smaller male gasped when he was pushed against the wall. He looked up to Kaname who stared down at him with an unreadable expression. _Odd..._ Zero tilted his head. _When had the pureblood learn to require such an expression with me? _

"Allow me to the pleasure to ruin such a vision." 

_ Chapter 24: END _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm.   
More Kaname/Zero interactions in this one. The next chapter gives a hint into what Zero can possibly do. Also, I might add further pairings to the list when they come up... I'll leave it at that. Not much to say other than thank you for choosing to read this. Any questions can be asked in the comments and will be answered in the end notes of the next chapter. 
> 
> Until next update...


	27. Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's always necessary to meet up and compromise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recently, I've got an influx of comments.   
I like that. Thank you so much for clicking on my story and bothering to comment. Honestly, one comment made me aware that the one-sided Zero/Yuuki tag isn't really there in the current chapters. Huh. Also, this one reveals a bit about Zero's abilities and a bit of Kaname/Zero interaction so look forward to that. I'm glad people find Zero to be mysterious even though I always have doubts about my writing skills in that regard. Oh but I digress.
> 
> Do enjoy.

"Hanabusa, are you really staying home?" 

Kain looked down at the vampire bundled up underneath the covers. Aidou didn't want anything to do with the council despite his urge to go and accompany Kaname just because. He curled up under the covers even more and muttered out a reply so Kain would leave him alone. 

"I'm not going, you go." 

The vampire sighed, leaving it be as he left the room.

Downstairs stood Ichijo, Kaname, and surprisingly, Zero. Kain blinked, having not expecting one of the perfects to be accompanying them to the Council of Ancients. Especially someone from a generations-long hunter family. But it would be Zero's death wish, not his, so he mentioned nothing about it. 

"Sorry that you had to wait." 

Ichijo smiled as Kain walked down the stairs. "That's okay, I was coming to meet you just now." 

Zero bounced in his spot, standing close to the pureblood who barely spared him a glance. "Shall we go?" 

Kaname hummed in response. "We shall." 

... 

Yuuki stood in front of the boys' dormitory with a perplexed expression. 

"Ah, what to do..." Yuuki sighed, gazing downward in thought. _I came to the boys' dormitory without thinking... I want to say lots of things to Ichiru.._. She shook her head. "But I can't get my head straight, ugh." 

"Cross-san?" Yuuki turned towards the Girls' dorm leader. "What are you doing here?" 

"Dorm leader..." 

"It's almost time. But anyways, I just wanted to stay this. Even though your the Chairman's daughter and have the privilege of perfect, you can't freely visit the boys' dormitory like this. It's leaving a bad impression. If you act like this, shouldn't it mean that the position of perfect be given to someone else?" 

Yuuki bit the inside of her cheek as she took her scolding. The dorm leader wasn't able to continue when a voice interrupted. 

"Sorry to interrupt, but could I talk to you, Yuuki." The blond huffed. "I can't find the chairman, is he out?" 

"Aidou-senpai!" Yuuki gasped. What is he doing here? 

A similar gasp escaped the dorm leader. "Idol-senpai!" 

The girl began to blush, her eyes fluttering down to the ground and back up at Aidou in an attempt of innocence. "Why are you out here? It's not easy for Night and Day classes to come and go as they please, right? Especially..." 

Aidou imitated a shushing motion. "I'm sorry but I'm running away from the dorms now. You didn't see me, okay?" 

She beamed. "Of course! I won't, I understand. I was just going to leave it to the perfect." 

Yuuki was in complete disbelief. _So Dorm leader is Aidou-senpai's fan. Better yet, why is Aidou running away from the dorms? _Aidou waved as she left, the girl returning it back with a bright smile. He turned to Yuuki, the flirtatious smile now gone from his face. Aidou rubbed the back of his neck and began to talk to Yuuki as if she was below him. 

"I was going to the Chairman but he's not here. So, I ran away from the dorm, okay?" 

"You..." _How shameless._ Yuuki couldn't really say anything else.

"Aidou-senpai." Ichiru's voice caught their attention. "Students of the Night Class aren't supposed to be in the Day Class' area." 

"T-That's right, senpai!" Yuuki gripped his shirtsleeve. "Let's go back to the dorm." 

"To the dorm? I don't want to." He turned his head to the side like a petulant child. "And I absolutely won't." 

Ichiru's eyebrow twitched. "Yuuki, look for a rope. I'll tie him up and take him back." 

At the sound of that, Aidou broke into a sprint, determined not to get caught by the perfects. Yuuki watched as Ichiru followed in pursuit, irritation written all over his face. The brunette laughed nervously, wondering if she should follow the pair or not. 

"Oh dear." Yuuki began to walk. 

... 

"Bloody vampire," Ichiru panted. "Don't make me run for something so stupid." 

Aidou chuckled triumphantly from his spot on the couch. "You should've just helped me escape in the first place." 

Yuuki looked at Zero. "Is it okay to be in the chairman's private office. Otherwise, how about Zero's and Ichiru's room in the Day dorms...?" 

"_Rejected_." Both vampires didn't find the idea appealing. More so, Ichiru than Aidou. He didn't want anybody intruding on such a personal space- it was almost insulting that Yuuki even bothered to suggest the idea. 

"I'm hungry." He murmured, spotting the brunette at the doorway. "What's with the caution? Home cooking is fine, make me some. Ah, is the bed empty in the morning? I want something nice and soft... If the linens don't have a lavender scent, I can't sleep. After that, if someone tries to find me, don't tell them I'm here... Let's see, a towel and a toothbrush..." 

Yuuki held onto Ichiru's arm as he shook with anger. "Calm down, Ichiru." She hissed before turning to Aidou. "Senpai, did something happen in the dorm that made you not want to stay?" 

Aidou's expression turned solemn. "No, it's nothing." 

Ichiru and Yuuki exchanged looks. 

... 

The car ride was silent. 

_And so boring!_ Zero thought with a pout. He sat next to Kaname who opted to stare out the window with such a pitiful expression on his face. Ichijo and Kain sat opposite to them, all in silence and it was truly boring Zero to death. With a loud and exaggerated sigh, Zero let his body fall sideways and onto Kaname's own. The pureblood grunted in surprise, making the other two vampires look at the pair with wide eyes. 

"Zero...?" 

He didn't reply and instead opted to bury his face into Kaname's shoulder. Kain cleared his throat, shaking off his surprise. 

"I think it's impossible for a dorm leader to defy the Senate House." 

Zero could've groaned right then and there. How dare he choose to talk about such an insanely boring topic. Politics, politics and more politics. _I'm shocked that Kaname hasn't gone as mad as Shizuka! _

Kaname didn't even bother to respond.

Ichijo smiled. "Well, Kaname is a very docile kind of pureblood... On the surface at least. But it seems that this time, the standards say that there is nothing wrong with the situation."

The blond straightened in his seat. "Ichiru murdered Hio Shizuka with a good reason and he is to be executed by the Senate House with the charge of 'Pureblood Homicide' without any investigation. You, Kaname Kuran, are going to stop this. Ichiru hunted an old enemy, do you know what they will say to you, who has given him the protection with your 'pureblood' status? Kaname-sama, you saved a classmate while disregarding your ancestry. The Senate House won't carry out the truth with peace. It will be you to do so, right?"

The man in question said nothing, continuing to stare out into the window. Zero, on the other hand, took it upon himself to respond to Ichijo. 

"Of course he will, after all..." Zero glared up at Kaname. "Some people just have to clean up after other people's messes." 

Kaname smirked, making Zero turn a slight pink in frustration. 

_Stupid purebloods!_

... 

Yuuki stared at the vampire who was wiping his mouth. 

Despite his previous protests, Aidou had eaten what Ichiru had made. Cleaned the plate, even. There was not a single speck of food on the plate and it truly amazed Yuuki to see a vampire eat that much. She placed down the cup in her hands on the table, looking Aidou straight in the face. 

"Didn't you say that you didn't want to eat anything Ichiru made?" She couldn't help but question. 

"It wasn't like it's not to my tastes, it's just okay." Aidou's sentence spoke for itself, he liked the meal. "But that wasn't enough." 

_How selfish_, Yuuki thought. 

"You look like you troubled." 

"I am. But Kaname-senpai will scold you later." 

Her sentence made Aidou sulk even more, confusing the girl. _E-Eh?! What just happened? He began to sulk even more! _Yuuki came back into the kitchen with the plates in hand. Ichiru didn't even turn around when Yuuki said the dreaded sentence. 

"More food." 

Ichiru whipped his head over his shoulder. "What? The bastard ate for three people and he still wants more?" 

"Yeah, well, he has no spirit." She replied, placing the plates on the kitchen table.

"So he's stress eating?" Ichiru sighed, digging into his pockets and throwing the packet of blood tablets in Yuuki's hands. "Here, give him a tablet first. I'll make more." 

"... Okay." 

Ichiru stopped and turned around. Yuuki was staring at him as if she thought of something depressing. "What? You know it bothers me when I'm stared at." 

Yuuki jumped. "Ah, it's nothing..." Once she saw Ichiru approaching, she began to back away. "R-Really, it's nothing." 

Her back hit the wall, Ichiru standing in front of her with both arms caging her still. Yuuki looked up at Ichiru, that sorrowful expression still lingering on her face and he knew that Yuuki wanted to say something to him but is refraining from doing so. 

"Nothing?" Ichiru scoffed, not believing that. "If there's something you want to say, say it."

"Should... Should I be so carefree when you have such limited time left. Is it okay for me to be like this?" 

Ichiru blinked, not understanding what Yuuki was saying. "What... Did something happen when I wasn't on patrol?" 

Yuuki gasped, covering her mouth. _Oh no, I told Ichiru. Ah, Zero's going to end me!_ "N-Nothing happened!" 

"So you and Aniki are hiding something." He leaned closer. "Tell me, what happened yesterday that Aniki had to leave and you saying such things? Does it have to do with that woman? I'm sure people are blaming me for her death and are wanting my head." 

Upon Yuuki's flinch, he confirmed his suspicions. "So that's how it is. Don't tell me then, I'll just have to ask Aniki what he was up to." 

Yuuki gulped and slipped from Ichiru's grasp, heading back to Aidou. Oh goodness, she was in trouble now. Aidou looked at her with crossed arms with a pout on his face, reminding Yuuki of a child. 

"You took so long!" He told her, eyes accusing. 

"Ichiru is making something right now. Go ahead and eat a tablet for now." She said, placing the tablet in front of him.

He stared at it, almost as if in thought before picking it up and raising it. "Is this Ichiru's?" 

Yuuki's reaction was telling as she backed up in surprise, stammering out an unconvincing lie. "N-No, it's n-not."

Aidou chuckled. "Don't be upset. The Kiryuu twins know I know. Since I'm a genius, it's natural for me to notice." 

"U-Um... Don't say anything please..." 

"I'm not that cowardly, Yuuki." His expression turned solemn once more. "Kaname-sama knows and he's keeping quiet about it, right? I don't know what he's thinking though... Why does he treat a girl like you so specially. Going as far as to have a run-in with the Senate House on purpose. I can't understand it." 

Yuuki looked downward. "It's not special treatment." 

Aidou gave her a cold stare. "Are you really saying that?" 

They stared at each other in silence before Yuuki turned away with a sigh. "In my first memories, there were two vampires. The vampire I was afraid would eat me at any moment that time and the kind yet intimidating vampire, who killed the one who was trying to eat me. I looked up to that kind vampire, Kaname-senpai, of course. Saying I'm special isn't what I'd call it. I think we have a very simple relationship." 

"Simple, huh?" He looked at her. "That's what you believe no matter what happens?" 

Yuuki gave a hesitant smile. "Well, sometimes I waver, but I still believe it. Even if I'm betrayed, it's okay." 

... 

The cup falls to the floor, breaking into pieces. 

Yuuki goes to pick up the broken pieces but ends up cutting her finger on one of the pieces. She flinches and makes a sound, watching the blood drip steadily from her new wound. Ichiru approaches her with an exaggerated sigh, looking down at the pieces. 

"Don't touch them anymore." He says, going to get some band-aids. 

"Wait." Yuuki says, standing up. She holds up her hand, her finger now having a trail of blood. "Lick it." 

Ichiru stares at the bloodied finger, wondering where Yuuki was trying to go with this. But he complies anyway, taking her hand and leaning down to suckle and lick at the blood. _It's almost erotic_, Yuuki thought in a daze. _I can feel his fangs... _

The moment is gone when Ichiru pulls back, that expression on his face clearly showing he wanted more. Yuuki frowns. 

"No. Don't deny it." She scolded. "I know that you're starving." 

He doesn't bother to say anything, leaning back in to her wrist and giving a long lick to the area he wanted to bite. His fangs pierced skin, the pain only there for a split second before it dulled into a slight ache. The sound of him taking her blood was dizzying. They made eye contact and Yuuki found that she couldn't look away. _I can see the color of blood glow in his eyes... Vampire eyes are supposed to be scary but, I can't look away._

Both were so caught up in their actions, they didn't notice Aidou leaving.

... 

Aidou fast-walked down the corridor. 

He couldn't believe that they had the audacity to do such a thing in front of him. The scent of fresh blood was delicious but it was annoying how Ichiru could lose control like that and take up the offer for blood from the source. _That blood lust possessed hunter... Isn't it bad to lose your reason? _

"Why am I so worried over him?!" He yelled in frustration.

Aidou calmed down, recalling Yuuki's words. _Even if I'm betrayed, that's okay. _"It's the same for me..." He muttered. 

_Kaname-sama, what are you going to do?_

... 

Kaname's eyes never left Zero's figure. 

The elder Kiryuu knew exactly what he was doing when he took the stage. No one had expected the hunter to do something like this and what he did was absolutely astonishing. From behind the pureblood was Kain and Ichijo, who didn't even bother to hide their surprise. He couldn't see Zero's expression but he could imagine it well enough- a sweet smile turned poisonous, angelic features turned into the devil's temptation. Zero hypnotized his target and didn't have to do much to achieve it- especially considering whom he targeted. 

"So..." Zero's voice cooed, light and silky. "What is it that you're going to do for me?" 

"... Put a hold on Kiryuu Ichiru's execution." Ichiou's voice was ragged, a slight tremor as he attempted to gain control. "For as long as Kaname-sama remains at Cross Academy."

"Mhm." Zero let out a sigh. "You are a hard man to compromise with, don't you know? Even with Kaname at my side, you remained adamant. Maybe a little more..." 

"_Zero_." 

The silver-haired hunter froze. "That's enough." 

"Okay..." Zero backed off, heading back to Kaname's side.

Kaname looked back at the vampires, the air tense at what had just happened. The pureblood gave the council a polite smile but it held no emotion whatsoever. 

"Thank you for agreeing, Ichiou." He ignored the glare. "There has been something that I have been wanting to ask the Senate for awhile... From now on, please don't interfere with Cross Academy. I am like my parents, Ichiou. And I don't want bloodshed." 

Zero almost cackled at Kaname's sentence. 

_ Chapter 25: END _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my, my, my.   
With this chapter done, I must say that it's still a surprise that it has progressed this far. Later on, though, more of Zero's abilities/mystery is revealed. It might be fast paced due to the pacing of the original but beggars can't be choosers. Might do another fanfiction after this one- probably My Hero Academia (this idea is cultivating and has a few changes already in place) or a Katekyo Hitman Reborn (Multiple ideas for my favorite anime.) But, those are ideas to consider, there are many more to choose from. Any questions can be asked in the comments and will be answered in the end notes of the next chapter.
> 
> Until next update...


	28. Incident

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is never a dull moment in Cross Academy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.   
A lot of you were confused as to what Zero did at the end of the last chapter. I am sorry to say that the answer lies within later chapters when the second part of the tragedy begins. The second part is also where there are more moments between Kaname and Zero, so that's one thing to look forward to. On another note, I'm glad you readers are enjoying my story despite my insecurities with my writing. But I digress as always. 
> 
> Do enjoy.

Ichiru was dozing off lightly when it happened. 

His brother's fingers carded through his hair in a soothing rhythm, slowly lulling him into a much needed nap. The soft murmurs of the students around him didn't help much, blurring into the background as some form of white noise. Zero softly hummed a song as he always did whenever he played with his hair. 

**Thud**

Ichiru blinked away his sleep at the sound, slowly rising up. Voices began to rise, students beginning to panic as he looked over to where the commotion was. There was a girl, unconscious and lying on the floor with a slightly pained expression. Ichiru spotted something red near her neck and recognized the wound- _Those are bite marks..._

He stood up, walking towards the girl and the students surrounding her. 

"Move." He told them, bending down to pick her up bridal style. "I'll take her to the infirmary."

Nobody dared to say anything after that. 

... 

Kaname hadn't expected to be apologizing so early in the day. 

He stood in front of the Chairman with a solemn expression, feeling responsible for what was happening. Yuuki, Ichiru, and Zero stood off to the right off him, standing ramrod straight as he was.

"I'm sorry, Chairman Cross. I should've watched over more carefully." 

The Chairman waved off the apology. "No, no. We haven't decided if it was a vampire from the Night Class who did this. You were called out by the Council of Ancients, Kaname-kun. So it could just be a case for those who are bored, okay? Don't worry too much. We have guardians to prevent such a thing from happening again. We just have to pay more attention from now on. At least, the girl who fainted from anemia doesn't remember who sucked her blood, or even the fact that she had her blood sucked. There is no doubt that the girl's memory was taken by a vampire." 

"This means that the vampires in the Night Class are suspects," Zero pipped in happily, eyes glittering with the prospect of solving a mystery. 

"The only ones that wouldn't have to rely on 'Ritual Magic' as the hunters call it to erase a memory, would be the Noble Class," Kaname said matter-of-factly. "The Night Class consists mostly of nobles. I understand that you do not want to suspect your students, but you are too lenient." 

Yuuki gazed downward, unusually silent. A hand patted her head, startling the brunette as Ichiru began to speak.

"Don't worry about it," he told her. "It isn't that you're incompetent, it's just that the opponent is very skilled." 

The brunette pouted. "Hey, you should at least feel responsible as well!" 

Kaname stared at the scene, prompting Zero to move a bit closer and let his fingers brush against Kaname's. The pureblood raised an eyebrow at the elder twin, gaining a mischievous smile in return as Zero spoke out the vampire's thoughts. 

"You are also considered a suspect, Ichiru." Both perfects startled at Zero's accusation. "At least, that's what Kaname's thinking." 

Zero ignored the pinch at his side. 

"A rare sample of a vampire hunter who has become a vampire, I wouldn't be surprised if you had any special abilities..." 

Ichiru narrowed his eyes. "I don't recall having any special abilities." 

"Really?" Kaname was unconvinced. "Maybe you subconsciously attacked a human yearning for her blood..."

"Kaname-kun!" 

Yuuki frowned, _Ichiru i__sn't like that... _"Even though Kaname-senpai doesn't like Ichiru, I thought you had accepted him just like you had with Zero. Do you honestly think that Ichiru attacked that girl?" 

"You make it sound like I did attack her." 

"Hush Ichiru." Yuuki silenced him, glaring up at Kaname with determination. "Fine! I will find the real culprit and prove that Ichiru is innocent." 

Yuuki grabbed Ichiru by the arm and began to drag him away, ready to prove Kaname's accusation to be false. Before she left, she glanced over her shoulder at the vampire. "Until you accept that Ichiru is innocent, I won't speak to you, Kaname-senpai." 

Then, they both left. 

It was silent before Zero began to chuckle. Those chuckles turning into full-blown laughter as he leaned on the pureblood for support. Kaien, on the other hand, was in awe at what Yuuki had done. 

"Wow. This is the first time that Yuuki has actually opposed Kaname-kun, right?" 

Zero nodded, lightly wheezing. "I-I w-won't speak to y-you, she s-says." 

Kaien looked at Kaname. "Are you shocked... Er..."He stopped mid-sentence at the glare directed in his direction. "Never mind." 

Once Zero was done laughing, he looked up at Kaname and wiped the tears from his eyes. Kaname was completely unamused and entirely irritated about what had just transpired. Zero wrapped his arms around the pureblood's, a mocking coo in his voice as he spoke. 

"Aw... Is Kaname mad that his pretty princess has rebelled?" The glare hardened, making Zero burst into another fit of laughter. 

This was not how Kaname wanted to spend his day. 

... 

While Ichiru allowed himself to be pulled, he couldn't ignore Yuuki's expression. 

It was a bit sad and almost pitiful in some way. After all, if she was going to feel this type of way with making such statements, she shouldn't have made them at all. With a sigh, Ichiru decided to voice his thoughts. 

"With that face of yours, you shouldn't have said such a thing in the first place." 

Yuuki sniffled. "But... Kaname-senpai is harsher on you lately, and Zero isn't doing much to stop it." 

"Hasn't it always been that way?" Ichiru asked, taking note that it had been strange that Zero hadn't diffused the situation like he usually would. There was something going on between them and he'll find out sooner or later. 

"You aren't the one who did it though." Her grip on his sleeve tightened. "I believe in you so you'll be fine." 

Ichiru facepalmed as Yuuki's dam slowly began to break. "Coming from someone who's full of regret."

The brunette looked back at Ichiru with tears streaming down her face. "D-Do you think he hates me now?" 

"No," he flat-out told her. "I don't think he hates you. Hell, I wouldn't know if he does. Why don't you go and take back what you said since you regret it so much?" 

"Hah? No way! Senpai is the one in the wrong!" 

Ichiru can feel a headache coming on, Zero was a better fit for handling situations like this. But Yuuki quickly dried her tears and renewed her determination from earlier. Her moods were changing back and forth and Ichiru didn't know what to think of it. 

"I will find the vampire who broke the school rules. Then I'll have senpai apologize to Ichiru." She turned to Ichiru and gave one of her most idiotic plans to date. "I'll spill a little bit of my blood and become bait." 

Yuuki could've sworn she heard Ichiru's patience snap. He gave her an icy glare. _I guess that plan is a no-go_, she thought as he walked past her. 

"I'll go talk to the victim again, is she still in the infirmary?" 

... 

The infirmary held a surprise for the two perfects. 

Inside were a few of the Night Class students, talking to the now awake Day Class girl. Ichijo looked at the two by the doorway with his usual carefree smile. 

"Hm? Yuuki-chan and Ichiru?" He greeted. "You came to talk to this girl, didn't you?"

"Ichijo-senpai?!" Yuuki was stunned. What are the Night Class students doing here? "The Night Class has an emergency day off, don't they?" 

Her question went ignored as the girl was charmed by the good looks of the blond vampire. "I'm sorry for asking so much," he told her. "Are you okay?" 

The girl blushed. "Yes... Sorry I couldn't be of much help..." She bowed slightly. "Excuse me, thanks for the flowers." 

She turned to Ichiru with a shy smile. "Thank you for carrying me, Ichiru-san. It was anemia, so I'll be just fine. Sometimes, you appear as cold but you're actually a good person." 

Ichiru blinked, a bit stunned at the girl's statement. "Huh..." 

Yuuki beamed from behind her fellow perfect. "She said you're a good person, Ichiru!" 

"If only you smiled more genuinely instead of that politely cold one." Ichijo nodded in agreement. 

Ichiru's eyebrow twitched as he turned to the Night Class students with an irritated expression. "What are you guys doing here?" 

Yuuki jolted, turning to Ichijo with a shocked look on her face as if she had just realized their presence. "Ah, that's right! The students of the Night Class are suspects, you know."

"We were sent by our dorm leader Kaname as a detective group for justice, our name is..." Ichijo trailed off, turning to the other vampires with a smile. "What shall we name ourselves?" 

Kain sighed. "I don't know."

"Anyway, we were asked by Kaname to investigate this, for our honor." Ichijo explained.

"Then, you can trust the ones here, right?" 

"Ichiru!" 

Both perfects turned to Ichijo with unknowingly expecting hope. The hope was thrown aside when Ichijo looked around, clearly unsure about their reliability. 

"Probably. I also called Aidou here, but he didn't come up." 

"Speaking of which," Kain looked into the distance with a thoughtful look on his face. "That guy seems to be acting strangely..." 

Ruka hummed. "Come to think of it, he's also had a previous offense too..." 

"Then, isn't the culprit Aidou-san?" Shiki pointed out matter-of-factly. 

"No..." Kain disagreed. "I don't think Hanabusa is the culprit."

"You 'think' means you don't trust Aidou-san." 

"Ah," Yuuki gasped. "Ichiru's gone!" 

... 

"Ichiru!" 

Upon hearing his name, Ichiru turned to the figure walking towards him. Chairman Cross was awfully cheerful, but it was nothing new. Ichiru nodded in greeting as Kaien came to a stop in front of him. 

"I didn't think you'd be looking for the suspect so seriously, so I came to talk with you." Kaien placed both hands on his hips confidently. "I recently spoke to someone in the Council of Ancients and asked them to look for the real offender who killed Shizuka 'outside' the school first." 

Ichiru frowned. "No... I think you know who actually killed her that night. For the sake of the school, you can't pretend to not know that." 

Kaien's smile had dimmed, Ichiru took note as the man began to talk again. "You're mistaken. I just want to protect my cute students. And in this case, I will punish the offender even if he is from our school. Though it may be tough to punish the vampire, this is what I must do to keep the peace of this school." 

_Well... Isn't the Chairman so thoughtful today._ Ichiru thought, looking downward. "I'm probably the one who is breaking that rule the most..." 

... 

** _Ever since that day, I've always hated her. _ **

"You really wanted to kill me, didn't you?" Shizuka's voice is chilling, that same light and playful tilt in her tone making Ichiru angrier than he's ever been. 

"The desire to kill... Where will that go?" She began to giggle, blood staining Ichiru's hands and her own body. Soon, Shizuka began to morph into his brother's slighter figure, the right side of his neck bloodied as he stared up at him. 

A sweet smile upon his face as he reached out to touch him. "If you're not careful..."

Zero staggered, falling into Ichiru's arms with a ragged breath. Before he knew it, his arms were full of a familiar brunette. His eyes widened, panic building up as Yuuki laid in his arms, tears escaping and mixing in with the blood to create a murky red color.

"It might change into a vampire's evil instinct..." She rasped. 

"Yuuki...!" 

Ichiru bolted upward, heart thumping and body trembling._ What was that...?_ He wondered, mind running a hundred miles a minute. _Why would I dream of such a thing? Aniki's haunting expression, Yuuki's pained expression... It's scary. _

"Ichiru?" Yuuki's voice startled him. "I found you, geez..."

He looked up and saw a very much alive and breathing Yuuki, a concerned expression upon her face. An exact opposite of his dream. 

"I didn't think you'd be ditching duty in a place like this... Are you okay, Ichiru?" 

... 

"My... You are too bold." 

Zero watched as Kaname pinned the vampire against the wall. While he didn't really care for trivial things like this, he had foreseen such a thing happening... _Now, if only things would be normal for once..._ Zero thought with a wistful sigh. One can hope. 

"Appearing at the Day Class' girls dormitory, no one would have imagined. Was it easier for you to move about since Ichijo and the rest were making a ruckus in the wrong direction?" 

"I know it's a foolish thing to do, dorm leader Kuran." 

Kaname gazed at the vampire. "I do not despise people like you. To think that you are yearning for someone, even if it might expose the Night Class to danger..."

"But," Zero approached the pinned vampire and patted his head softly. "You cannot continue in your pursuit, no matter how much she means to you. You'll die if you proceed with those plans."

"You don't have to worry," Zero smiled. "It wouldn't be happening again." 

... 

Yuuki gasped as she was pulled into an embrace with Ichiru. 

She felt him trembling, arms wrapped around her body tight as if she were to disappear if he should let go. He began to mumble, burying his head into the junction of Yuuki's neck and shoulders. Vaguely, she can make out what he was saying. 

"I thought I killed you, but you're here..." 

"I can't breathe, Ichiru..." Yuuki got out of his grip, slapping both hands on the sides of his face. "Are you okay?" 

Ichiru blinked, eyes focusing as he came out of whatever trance he was in. "Ah... I'm fine..." 

She smiled. "Good." 

What happened next was unexpected. Ichiru lifted his own hands to place on the sides of hers, head tilted just the slightest as he leaned in. His thoughts focused on what the brunette had to offer. 

_ **I want these gentle hands and kind smile... Even though I shouldn't want such a thing.** _

He stopped. Instead of kissing her like he had wanted, Ichiru placed his forehead on her shoulder. No... It wouldn't do much to kiss her right then and there, not when she could interpret it as something else.

"Never mind... I'm sorry."

_ Chapter 26: END _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized that I've been switching Kain Akatsuki's name this whole time...   
Other than that, everything is fine. This chapter isn't really eventful but the next few chapters are. Four more chapters until the 30th chapter mark (less than that according to AO3), the chapters in which things are interesting. The next four days will consist of daily updates- think of it as thanks for sticking around for so long. Then, it'll return to its two day schedule. Remember, any questions can be asked in the comments and will be answered in the end notes of the next chapter. 
> 
> Until next update...


	29. Vampire's Soiree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At a soiree, conversations and pleasantries are exchanged. It just so happens that with vampires, nothing is ever simple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello.   
This was supposed to be yesterday's update but things happened so here we are. We're nearing that 30th chapter mark, just a bit more. I'm sure you all know who is coming next- Rido Kuran. Ah, the insane pureblood of the Kuran family. Things will certainly become interesting when he's there at Cross Academy. There will be no end notes for this chapter but there certainly will be for the next chapter. 
> 
> Do enjoy.

_It's nothing,_ Ichiru had said, letting go of her. _I had a weird dream and wasn't really awake yet. _

_If that was the case, then what just happened is considered nothing...?_ Yuuki thought, staring into the distance. 

"Just a little awhile more, Yuuki." Yori's voice startled the brunette out of her daze. "I'm sorry for making you come shopping with me..." 

Yuuki smiled. "Ah, it's not a problem. I didn't have anything planned today so..." 

Right now, Yuuki was out shopping with Yori, the girl holding a mobile phone in her hands as she looked at Yuuki with concern. She tilted her head, eyebrows furrowed as she picked the words she wanted to say. 

"I noticed you've been dazing out like that all day today, and you're avoiding Ichiru for some strange reason. After this time, I'm going to the buffet to catch him and ask what he did. Every time Yuuki becomes trouble it's because of Kuran-senpai or Ichiru..." 

"O-Oi, Yori-chan..." Yuuki couldn't believe the words coming out of Yori's mouth with such a straight face. 

"Well, I don't really care for Kuran-senpai but you're always keeping your distance from the Night Class. I think it's a good thing. Also," Yori looked downward. "I think those people are a bit scary..."

Before Yuuki could respond, a tug on her sleeve made her jolt in surprise. 

"Mommy..." The child cried, continuing to tug on her sleeve.

Both girls blinked. Yuuki bent her knees in an attempt to become more height-level with the child. Awkwardly, she began to talk, looking at the heartbreaking sight. 

"Um... Did you get separated from your mommy?" 

The child nodded, wiping his tears with the back of his hand. "Please bring me back to mommy." 

With a soft exhale, Yuuki told Yori to continue on with her shopping while she helped the child find his mother. Yori seemed a bit hesitant but nodded in agreement, taking one last Yuuki and the child before heading on her way. Yuuki turned to the child with a smile. 

"Is she close by?" 

... 

When Yuuki had offered to help the child, she hadn't expected him to pull her out of the department store. 

The child wasn't sniffling anymore, not with a person by his side but he still wiped away the oncoming tears. Yuuki looked around with an unsure look upon her face, how had the child ended up there when he was leading her so far out? 

"Are you sure it's this way?" She asked, feeling uneasy. 

"Yeah. Just a little further."

Soon, they came to a stop at a rundown building. Yuuki looked at the building with skepticism, wondering if the child's mother was truly in this building. 

"It looks like there isn't anyone here... Is she really here?" 

"Yup," The child responded, wiping away his tears to look at Yuuki with a smile. "Thank you, _ane-san_. I was so scared when I was alone." 

All of Yuuki's unease and skepticism vanished, her eyes softening for the child once more. _What a cute kid..._ She thought, captivated in his unique eyes. "I'm worried. Should I wait here with you until your mother comes?" 

"You're so kind, ane-san." He laughed, leaning into to kiss Yuuki on the cheek. "Thank you..." 

_Eh...?_ Yuuki felt her eyes began to close, her body falling to the side limp with exhaustion. 

... 

_Boring_. 

Zero would've yawned had he not been in the company of others. Soirees were never his thing, having been to one too many for him to ever enjoy them. They were more of a pleasantry thing, inviting people you didn't care about just to gossip and giggle about whatever piece of information came your way. But of course, he was here due to Ichiru and Kaname's presence. The silver-haired twin stuck close by the pureblood, so close that their fingers would brush one another. Yet, neither of them bothered to say or do something about their much too intimate position. Many of the vampires eyed their closeness, some trailing down to their hands when they brushed against each other. However, nobody would dare speak out against it. 

Zero tugged on Kaname's sleeve, the pureblood looking at him with a raised eyebrow. Kaname took notice of the fact that Zero's eyes were unfocused and eyebrows furrowed as if seeing something no one else was.

Gently, Zero pulled Kaname in a random direction. Kaname let it happen, wondering what Zero's mind was thinking of and what did it find so important that he had to be dragged somewhere else. He later found out, when Zero led him to an unconscious Yuuki laying on the ground. Zero had let go of his sleeve and kneeled down by the unconscious girl. 

Fingers grazed the soft skin, Zero looked up at Kaname and smiled. 

"It seems there is another opponent ready to play." 

Kaname frowned. 

... 

_My body feels weak... Even my eyelids are heavy._

Chocolate eyes fluttered open, light filtering in as her vision cleared. _Where...?_ Yuuki moved her head to the side, spotting a figure sitting on a chair next to the one she laid on. Her eyes widened when she made out exactly who was sitting there. 

"I'm glad, you've recovered very quickly." Kaname said, looking straight into her eyes. 

Immediately, Yuuki bolted upward in surprise, only to have her vision spin at the sudden movement. She let out a dazed sound, falling forward and into Kaname's extended arm. Once she had her bearings together, she looked up at him with cheeks tinged pink. 

"T-Thank you..." 

Kaname tilted his head. "I thought you weren't speaking to me?" 

_Oh, that's right!_ Yuuki recalled her statement awhile back, an embarrassed expression upon her face. "T-That... If Kaname-senpai has stopped doubting Ichiru then it's fine." 

"I did doubt him too much and I feel bad about it," A white lie, but Yuuki didn't need to know that. "And we did end up finding the vampire who did it. But Yuuki..." 

Fingers lifted Yuuki's face by her chin, making sure that she wouldn't be able to lower her head to avoid eye-contact. "Being told such a thing, wouldn't you think I'd be upset at you?" Kaname trailed his hand down to Yuuki's neck. 

"But... The one who did wrong was you, Kaname-senpai." 

"And who do you think, is the one that made me act like that?" Kaname leaned in, listening to the girl's heartbeat. "Your heart's beating quite fast. Maybe you understand a bit more about how I feel..." 

The door opened, forcing Kaname to lean back and give Yuuki her space. Yuuki gaped, not expecting to see Zero at the door. He was wearing a suit with colors that contrasted some with his natural coloring. The overall suit was bathed in black, accented with dark purples and blues. Nimble fingers tugged on the sleeve ends, almost as if self conscious of himself. 

"Oh, Hime is awake." Zero smiled. "By the way, the head of the Aidou family is wanting to meet with you. Ichijo said that it's fine if Yuuki stays in this room. Speaking of which, care to tell us how did you end up here, Hime?" 

"Y-Yes," Yuuki looked downward and recalled her last moments. 

Kaname and Zero shared a look, knowing exactly why the brunette was found lying unconscious. 

"So it must've been one of the guests children at tonight's party..." Zero hummed. "Vampire children steal energy from people since they aren't ready to consume blood just yet. As of now, we're in the basement of one of the Aidou family's buildings. Tonight is a vampire's soiree, and if any happen to find out that there is a human here..." 

Zero's unspoken words left a bad taste in Yuuki's mouth.

... 

At the party, Ichiru stood amongst those in the crowd.

While he didn't want to be in the middle of some gossip party with vampires, he knew he had a duty here. Besides, it wasn't like Ichiru was about to let that bastard Kaname Kuran take out his brother to some unknown place where he would easily let his guard down. 

_Damn it_, Ichiru almost broke his façade to sigh in frustration. _Where the hell did Aniki and Kuran go? _

A hand placed itself on the top of his head, ruffling his hair ever-so-slightly and Ichiru felt irritation build up. There was only one person who would dare try such a thing other than his brother. Next to him stood Yagari, looking straight ahead and ignoring the blade pointed at his neck. 

"Yo, idiot student." Yagari greeted, face solemn.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, sensei?" Ichiru scowled, putting away his weapon. "Why are you even here anyway?" 

Yagari huffed. "The vampire I'm chasing might show up here. By the way, members of the Night Class aren't supposed to leave the school grounds." 

"They're chaperoned, so they're apparently excused, Yagari-sensei." Ichiru retorted. 

"Look at them. They look as thought they don't care at all but they're all curious about you. Vampire hunters are disliked and you are the one who killed that vampire princess." 

"I..." Yagari turned to the solemn twin. "I was not the one who killed her. But Aniki might know something about who did." 

"Hm... I see." 

The two exchanged no further words, listening to the soft murmurs of the crowd around them. 

... 

Yuuki looked around the room she was alone in. 

There's no windows in this room, she took notice as she stared up at the ceiling with this inexplainable feeling of nostalgia. _I feel like... I've been in this room before. But from where?_

_Creak..._

Chocolate eyes turned to the door, spotting the lost child she had helped from before. She stood up, watching the child as he stood half-hidden by the door. 

"Human nee-san, I'm very sorry about earlier..." 

"You... You're a vampire right?" Yuuki took a step forward. "Hey, did you find your mom?" 

The child ignored her, walking away from the door. Yuuki rushed over to the door, "Kid? Don't tell anyone that I'm here..." 

Yuuki's eyes widened, the child was gone. She blinked once she heard the noise of chatter. Cautiously, Yuuki took soft steps to the ledge, looking over to spot elegantly dressed people talking to one another below her. With a gasp, she surveyed the scene. 

_So many vampires... The lights are very dim but why are they here? Famous actors and singers. Even a CEO of a software company, athletes too and they're all vampires. _Yuuki felt uneasy. _There are vampires that are famous too... If the general public found out, how would they all react._

"Huh...?" Yuuki squinted at one figure before falling behind the ledge. _Why... Why is Ichiru here?! It's one thing to see Zero but Ichiru too? He wasn't invited, was he? He's probably just here for work. Ah, why do I keep having flashbacks of that moment?_

Yuuki's face was burning, recalling the almost-kiss Ichiru and her had nearly exchanged. She tried justifying the reasons as to why he had almost done so but... "Even I'm not convinced..."

With a sigh, Yuuki got herself together and stood up to overlook the crowd below. Everyone paused in their discussions when the doors opened, each and every person bowing and curtsying to the person at the entrance. There stepped in Kaname and Zero, their arms looped together as they stood side by side. If Yuuki didn't know any better, she would say that they make a stunning couple. 

Kaname tilted his head forward. "My apologies, I did not mean to disturb you all." 

The vampire that bowed in front of Ichiru began to talk. "Kaname-sama, is it true that you took the human's side at the board meeting? This human in particular." 

"Yes, it is true." 

The people began to mumble. 

"Kaname-sama is brilliant." Said someone.

"Trying to make amends with the humans, so we can have a peaceful future with them. It's a very astute thing to do." Said another in agreement. 

Aidou and whom appears to be his father and sister approached the pureblood. 

"Kaname-sama," Aidou's father greeted. "Thank you for taking care of my son."

"Thank you very much for inviting me to this party, Aidou-san. I'm sorry that I do not show up at parties much."

"Do not worry about it, Kaname-sama. Actually, today I have a favor to ask of you..." 

"Father!" Aidou looked at his father who gestured for his daughter to step forward. 

"This is my daughter, Tsukiko." Aidou-san introduced, the girl curtsying in front of the vampire-hunter pair. "It would be great if you would take interest in her. Our family would like that very much." 

"Father, please stop." Aidou turned to Kaname with an apologetic expression. "Kaname-sama, I didn't ask for any of this..." 

Zero had tightened his grip on Kaname's arm, biting his cheek as if wanting to hold in some nasty words. Kaname glanced at him and if the pureblood had noticed anything, Zero was glad he didn't say anything about it. 

Kaname smiled. "I do not know how things will turn out, but I will keep that in mind." 

Aidou Tsukiko blushed, staring down at the floor bashfully. Everyone else, however, had stopped their conversations to look at the pureblood in shock. Why, this was a new development! _The_ Kaname Kuran considering a marriage proposal? 

"Kaname-sama used to completely ignore the subject before..." 

"Yes... He has matured and understands the importance of the pureblood's role."

All at once, vampires began to rush forward, offering their own daughters to the brunet. This was clearly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! 

"Please meet my daughter as well, Kaname-sama." 

"Kaname-sama, please meet my daughter." 

Zero let out a tiny squeak, pushing closer to the pureblood in slight shock. "Uwah, desperate much?" 

They continued to ask, some even stepping closer with their daughters at their side. It was almost too much...

_Clack... _

The chaotic noise went silent, all eyes turning to the door. There stood a woman with long flowing hair and a high-low dress that accentuated her flawless features. Her aura, however, was a give away on her status. Immediately, all vampires except Kaname, had bowed in respect. 

She tilted her head. "Everyone... Please do not say things like that, poor Kaname-san will be overwhelmed." 

Kaname turned, Zero letting go of the pureblood and taking a step back. The woman approached, standing in front of Kaname and only tilting her head upward to get a good look at Kaname's face. 

"Sara-sama..." 

"It really is her, a member of the Shirabuki family."

"What a rare sight, to see Sara-sama at a party."

"Sara," Kaname bowed his head slightly. "It's been awhile." 

Shirabuki Sara smiled. "Kaname-san. Ever since you started going to school, I haven't seen you at all." 

Kaname took one of Sara's gloved hands, lifting it up to his mouth to place a chaste kiss on the back of her hand.

"We are one of the only remaining pureblooded vampires, after all." Sara giggled. "We have to stick together." 

From the ledge, Yuuki stared at the pair for a few seconds, standing up and running back into the room. She closed the door behind her, sliding down the door to sit on the ground in front of it. 

_That pretty girl is the same as Kaname-senpai... The same pureblood vampire- the best match for Kaname-senpai._ Yuuki felt her emotions going wild. _Even though I know that I..._

"I shouldn't have gone outside..." 

The door pushed against her back, making Yuuki look through the crack. There stood Kaname, a hand on the door handle. 

"Can you let me in?" 

Yuuki moved, allowing the pureblood to enter the room. She stood there guilty, watching as Kaname closed the door shut. 

"Kaname-senpai..." 

"I told you," Yuuki flinched. "Not to leave this room." 

"Um... I'm sorry..." 

Kaname pulled the girl into an embrace. "I won't forgive you with just an apology..."

Yuuki yelped when she was lifted up off her feet and carried to the couch. Kaname dropped her on it, hands on both sides of her body as he loomed over her. 

"Why did you leave the room?" 

"The child... I was worried about the lost child." 

What Kaname did next had Yuuki's heart pounding. Unexpectedly, the pureblood rested his head on her chest. His ear pressed against the area of her heart as if listening to each passing beat. 

"Just... Just let me stay here for a little bit." Kaname said almost breathlessly. His eyes began to flutter, eventually settling down on closing. "I must be tired..." 

Yuuki's eyes softened, her heart slowing down to its normal pace. She placed a hand on Kaname's head, allowing her fingers to card through the strands. "It's fine. I'll do anything for Kaname-sama." 

_A glimpse of what I saw earlier was something so distant from me. And yet right now, this man lying here in my arms creates a strange feeling. _

** _Even if this will only last for a moment. _ **

_ Chapter 27: END _


	30. Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They are complicated, they sometimes seem unnecessary. But everyone has them- these feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second update of the day. Do enjoy.

Yuuki's emotions were always all over the place. But right now, they didn't matter.

She embraced the man in her arms, basking in the warmth that is simply Kaname Kuran. Kaname had laid there with his head on her chest, ear pressed against her heart as he breathed steadily in mock sleep. Yuuki would always feel a sense of affection and love for Kaname but she also felt like she was in some sort of debt. 

_For Kaname-sama, I'd... _Yuuki froze. 

A short whine in the back of her throat had Kaname lifting up his body off of Yuuki with slight concern. She had moved her hands from his head and instead blocked her eyes with both of them, head turned just slightly to the side. 

"Yuuki?" 

"I wasn't going to call you Kaname-sama to your face," Yuuki began, looking up at the pureblood with half-lidded eyes. "Because I'm not the same as I was before. But if I call you that, you seem so distant so I won't call you that anymore." 

Kaname stared, no longer at Yuuki's face but at her neck. The sound of blood circulating, the expanse of her neck exposed as she tilted her head to the side with her eyes squeezed shut. He didn't even bother to listen as he leaned down.

"As long as I remembered how kind you were to be, that should've been enough. But why..."

Soft lips touched the side of her neck, snapping her eyes open in surprise. Yuuki was only able to get a headful of hair, the feeling of Kaname's lips upon her neck was an odd sensation- an unexpected one. 

"Kaname-senpai...?" 

The man didn't even bother to answer, letting his lips part. His tongue trailed a short lick to her neck causing Yuuki to shiver at the feeling. The only other person she's allowed to come this close to her neck was Ichiru. There was a clear distinction, though, where Ichiru and Kaname were completely different people. While Ichiru didn't bother with licking so much, tending to abhor his vampiric nature, Kaname appeared to be the one to lick and soothe before digging in. 

_Almost like savoring the first bite of a meal._ Yuuki braced herself for a bite... Only for Kaname to move, looming over her once more. He appeared even more serious than before, that sorrowful look in his eyes making a return as it always had.

"Your 'kind' only lives for what seems like seconds to us... Do you want to become a vampire, Yuuki?" 

_Ba-thump_

_What...?_ Yuuki stared wide-eyed at him. Why was Kaname offering her this?

"Become a blood sucking monster like me. Live for eternity by my side?" Kaname leaned forward again, a look of desperation on his face as he went for a bite. Mouth opened wide as he awaited Yuuki's answer. 

"... Yes." She said, eyes squeezed shut as tears began to fall. 

Kaname had stopped all ministrations, sitting up and bringing her along with him. He had seen the way she closed her eyes, tears falling despite giving her verbal approval of what was to come. The sight made him hurt and he knew right then and there, Yuuki wasn't ready for this.

"I'm sorry, Yuuki, I got too carried away. I won't do anything that you aren't ready for me to do." He hugged her close. "I'm sorry for scaring you." 

Yuuki blinked. "Senpai..." 

"Don't make a face like that. This should be a lesson to be more careful from now on... Now, it's time to leave." 

... 

"Aw, did you scare Hime away?" 

Wine red eyes turned to the doorway where the voice came from. Kaname glowered at Zero, who stood there with that smug look on his face. However, Zero was unaffected by the glare and playfully shivered in mock fright. 

"Oh! How scary!" Zero laughed, approaching the pureblood on the couch. 

The elder Kiryuu took his place on Kaname's lap, arms wound around Kaname's shoulders. Zero stared straight into Kaname's eyes with that mischievous glint in his eyes. 

"Well? Did you offer it?" He breathed. "That promise of eternity, the sweet nothings of lovers?" 

Kaname almost wanted to push the hunter off of his lap. Instead, he opted for placing his hands on the hip bones of the lithe body in front of him. He squeezed once, letting one of his hands trail upward. Zero wiggled at the sneaking hand going up his back, waiting for the pureblood to answer him. His reply came in the form of fingers gripping long strands and _pulling_. He gasped, neck tilted backward in an almost painful angle. Nothing new, of course, but it still hurt. 

"Hey!" Zero whined, arms tightening their grip around shoulders. "Don't take your anger out on me!" 

Kaname just pulled his hair harder, earning another yelp and more complaints.

...

Yuuki had reunited with Yori. Kaname had taken her back to the academy where Yori and the headmaster were waiting for her. The two best friends hugged, hands intertwined as they began to talk to one another. 

"Yori-chan," Yuuki exclaimed. "Your hands are so cold." 

The girl pouted. "I was waiting outside for 'someone' who got lost." 

"I'm sorry..." 

Yori had waved her off. It wasn't anything she couldn't handle besides, she was still basking in the feeling of being together with Yuuki again. 

"Hey..." Kaien called to them. "It's snowing." 

"Mm.. It's already that time of the year." 

Yuuki stared at the falling snow, expression softening.

**The whiteness of the snow reminds me of the color of blood. That snow storm ten years ago, the blood scattered everywhere and the handsome boy extending his bloodied hand towards me. **

_The hand I took a hold of._

**I would do anything to be my Kaname-sama's side yet when the words I longed to hear became reality... _My emotions got mixed up and I ended up crying._**

... 

Yuuki stared out of the window deep in thought. 

_Even if Kaname-senpai wasn't serious, I said I'd do anything for him but in the end, nothing happened._ Yuuki placed both hands on the cold glass. _Are you disappointed in me? _

"Hey Cross-san," called out one of the students. "Tomorrow is the first day of break, are you travelling anywhere?" 

"Um... I don't have anything planned." Yuuki answered with a confused expression. 

The girl beamed. "So you're going to stay at the school for the whole break? Would you mind setting up spy cameras in the Moon Dorms?"

Before Yuuki could respond, the Kiryuu twins stood behind them with very ominous smiles on their faces, completely betraying their unsuspecting demeanor. Yuuki had pointed behind the two girls who turned and paled at the auras coming off of them. 

"_I do hope you girls aren't planning anything strange_." they said in unison, creeping out all three girls. 

"N-No..." 

Yuuki smiled awkwardly, "Hi Ichiru, Zero." 

The girls took this opportunity to sneak away, leaving the brunette to their mercy. Zero and Ichiru took hold of one of her arms and began to drag her away and out of the classroom. 

"E-Eh? Zero, Ichiru? Where are we going?" 

Ichiru looked over his shoulder. "The Night Class is going to come out all at once, so we have to make sure that there isn't any humans here..." 

"We have to make sure that all of the Night Class students leave the school grounds as well." Zero finished for Ichiru.

"Oh..." Yuuki laughed nervously. "I forgot about that." 

The stare they gave her only cemented her embarrassment. 

... 

Turquoise eyes glanced about nervously. 

Ichijo watched with an amused smile at his fellow blond, who was clearly looking for someone. "You don't have to worry about it." 

Aidou jumped as Ichijo continued. "Kaname is already planning on staying at your mansion over break." 

"I'm not worried!" He denied. 

"I plan on doing the same along with a few others," Ichijo ignored Aidou's denial. "Aidou would make a great material to pass time." 

"Thanks for informing me..." Aidou scowled. 

Ichijo had spotted the three perfects standing there and approached them with a beaming smile. "Ah, good work Yuuki-chan, Ichiru and Zero!" 

Zero beamed right back and grasped the blond's hands. "Ichijo-senpai! I'll miss you during the break." 

"As will I," Ichijo laughed. "You are always working so hard. I hope you guys can relax while we're gone." 

Ichiru and Yuuki only stared at the sparkly and unusual vampire-hunter pair. They exchanged looks of confusion, unsure of what to do about the scene playing in front of them. 

"Since when has Zero and Ichijo-senpai become so buddy, buddy?" Yuuki asked, noting Ichiru's eyebrow twitching. 

"Don't know and I don't believe I even want to know." Ichiru snarked, making Yuuki giggle. 

"Oh," Ichijo looked from behind Zero. "Kaname." 

This gained different reactions from the three perfects. Ichiru stilled, body becoming tense as Yuuki retreated behind Ichiru's tall figure. She was avoiding looking up at the pureblood who had approached. Zero, on the other hand, had his smile dim just the slightest but it wasn't very noticeable to those who weren't paying attention. He stood as casually as he had before, allowing Ichijo to come face to face with the pureblood. 

"Kaname, did you lock the doors?" 

"Ichijo, I can do that much by myself." Kaname pulled out an envelope and handed it to the brunette, who stared down bashfully. "Here you go, Guardian-san. The key to the Moon Dorm." 

Yuuki took the envelope, completely avoiding Kaname's gaze. 

"I know what you said to me wasn't a lie so..." Kaname patted Yuuki's head softly. "Don't worry about it." 

"Kaname," Ichijo's voice cut in. "I know you don't want to leave but..." 

"You can wait in the car with everyone else." 

The order was clear and Ichijo left. Before anyone can say or do anything else, Zero approached the pureblood and gently tugged the other male's hand. With a raised eyebrow in inquiry, Zero whispered something softly that had Kaname stiffening. The two perfects couldn't see Zero's face nor could they have heard what Zero said. Zero looked over his shoulder with a beaming smile. 

"You two, go on back." 

Ichiru frowned. "But Aniki-" 

"I have to talk about something with Kaname, so you don't have to wait here with us." Zero said with finality. "I'll be fine, besides you have Yuuki with you." 

The younger twin scowled, but reluctantly began to walk away with Yuuki at his side. The brunette had stuttered out a goodbye, the vampire and hunter pair watching as the other perfects left. Once alone, Zero let his smile fall and faced the pureblood. 

"Kaname, there is something I must tell you before you leave." Zero said, shuffling closer so that there was little space between them. 

"And that is?" 

"Something is happening, Kaname." Zero's fingers gripped Kaname's coat. "And it is an inevitable fate. It must happen and not even I can interfere with it. Do be weary when you return for the Kin Slayer shall try to claim a throne that was once his." 

Kaname could only look at the hunter with an unreadable expression.

... 

"Yuuki!" 

The brunette in question looked over her shoulder with shock as Chairman Cross ran over to her. He seemed panicked as if something had just happened and he needed her to be over there stat. 

"We have a problem!" Kaien panted. "Kurenai Maria-chan has awoken!" 

... 

At the infirmary, Ichiru entered with Zero by his side. 

"Ah, there you two are." Kaien said, just as Maria sprinted towards the twins. 

Maria had hugged Zero as if he was her lifeline, which in all honesty had surprised both twins. They hadn't expected for the vampire that had been host to a deceased pureblood to come and do such a thing. Zero had reciprocated the hug on instinct, having been used to Ichiru's surprise hugs in their younger days. 

"Um... Kurenai-san?" Zero said, capturing her attention. "Are you alright?" 

"Mhm." Maria nodded. "I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused but is Shizuka-sama really...?" 

Zero patted her head softly. "I am sad to say this, but she is no longer in the world of the living. But will you tell us about your circumstances now?

Maria sniffed. "Shizuka-sama came to me and asked me if she could borrow my body. She said that she would in return make my weak sickly body stronger... As I am blood related to Shizuka-sama, it was possible but now she's gone."

Her grip around Zero tightened. "After that man left Shizuka-sama, she never wanted anyone else's love. Zero-san and Ichiru-san's parents were ordered to kill Shizuka-sama's lover. He was the first to have ever loved her that way and when she lost him, she was filled with such sorrow and hate..." 

Maria looked at Ichiru with determined eyes. "Ichiru-san, even if you killed Shizuka-sama, I don't think she regretted doing anything...!" 

Seeing Maria going into distress, Zero shushed her. "Calm down, Kurenai-san... You can't stress your body after waking up not too long ago." 

Kaien sighed. "C'mon, let us leave Maria-san to rest." 

Zero nodded and led Maria to the bed. Ichiru and Yuuki had followed Kaien and just as Zero was about to as well, Maria had grasped his sleeve. 

"Zero-san... Shizuka-sama has told me that you know of things that many are ignorant of and I want to tell you the truth either way..." 

The elder Kiryuu sat down on the edge of the bed, letting Maria speak. 

"That day that the Kiryuu's were ordered to hunt that man, someone else had ordered them to do so. Someone didn't like the idea of Shizuka loving a human-turned-vampire. And when she found out about this figure, she put all her effort in trying to find and kill them. That person is a pureblood and possibly, your real enemy..." 

Zero frowned, having known about this figure. Instead of letting the frown linger, Zero smiled, soothing Maria's hair down. "Don't worry, Maria... While I am aware of such a being, there is no need to worry your head over it. Everything will be fine." 

Then, he left the girl to rest. But even then, the thoughts of such a figure linger in his mind. 

**While it may be alright, nothing is without its troubles that come before it. **

_ Chapter 28: END _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With these two chapters up, I will now work on the latest ones.   
I'm still following the manga at this point but these are things I can't skip. Doesn't mean I can't have fun with it. Soon, what everyone came here will begin but I am most likely to drag it out like I've been doing thus far. Might include some explicit scenes though I doubt they'd be good as I've never written such things. I'll find a way like I usually do. But I digress as always. Any questions can be asked in the comments and will be answered in the end notes of the next chapter. 
> 
> Until next update...


	31. The Beginning of Breaking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are starting to unfold when a certain someone decides to uncover the secret behind their beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello.   
Another update for you. I am glad to say that the latest chapters are coming along swell. I just hope I won't disappoint my readers with what's to come. Now that I think about it, the most diverse thing from canon happens on chapter 40 but I am digressing like usual. 
> 
> Do enjoy.

_Everyone is going to their parents, to the house they were born to... _

Yuuki had watched everyone leave- Maria's parents had come to pick her up with a cheerful reunion and Yori had left with one last goodbye. Now, there just remained the small makeshift family of four. Yuuki passed by the kitchen where Kaien was cooking. Taking notice of the girl, the man brightened. 

"Ah, Yuuki." He called to her. "Dinner will be ready soon, why don't you go ahead and take a bath?" 

And so, Yuuki headed to the bathroom. 

... 

Yuuki sunk into the tub with a sigh. She stared up at the ceiling, deep in thought about how everyone had biological family to return to for the break. _My real parents... Do I even want to see them now? I've already lived ten years with no real memories._

The water splashed as she let her body sink further into the warmth. _No... I was able to live because of many important people..._

**My ten years started from when Kaname-senpai saved me from a vampire and the Chairman had adopted me as his daughter. I didn't know a single thing yet the Chairman took his time to teach me. Even about vampires. **

**The fearsome being that tried to eat me was a vampire but I was able to understand that Kaname-senpai was 'different'. **

**It was this beautiful person would visit me from time to time. Because of this kind person by my side, I was able to withstand those frightful nights where I couldn't remember my past. **

_I wonder when was it that those nights had happened less frequently... _Yuuki blinked. _Ah, it was the night Zero and Ichiru came to our home. _The recent events that happened with Shizuka came to mind and it had Yuuki recoiling in disbelief. 

_What was I protecting? I ended up doing something terrible. _She buried her face into her hands. _I have to remember. I don't want to hurt the twins with my problem... _

_I have to remember. _

Ba-thump

_I'll remember. _

_Knock_

"Yuuki?" Ichiru's voice startled the brunette out of her thoughts. "The Chairman became worried because you wouldn't come out. Are you okay in there?" 

_Ichiru... _Yuuki sighed. "Y-Yeah... I am..." 

Then, she looked down. 

"Kyaa!" 

"Yuuki?! What's the matter?!" 

The brunette had almost leapt out of the tub, only for the water to return back to its crystal color. She could've sworn the tub was filled to the brim with blood and that it coated every nook and cranny of her naked body. Yuuki trembled in confusion and shakily got out of tub. 

"I-It was nothing... I'll get out." 

"Okay..." Ichiru hadn't sounded convinced. "I'll be waiting outside." 

The door had opened and a trembling, wet hand had gripped Ichiru's shirt before he could leave. "I'm sorry but please don't go..." 

Ichiru let out a sigh. "What's wrong? Seen a ghost during your bath?" 

"My past... I tried hard to remember for the first time in so long and..." Yuuki's grip on Ichiru's shirt tightened as she trembled even harder. 

"You were left in a place where there was nothing around but a vampire who would roam. It would've made sense if your parents were hunters or were somehow involved. But the Chairman said there was no such case." 

Yuuki was confused. Where was Ichiru going with this?

"Maybe if you look at the Association's reports from the past yourself, you may find a clue. You might remember something. So what do you want to do?"

... 

Kaien Cross hurried to catch up to the three in front of him. 

"Are you guys serious about this? It feels like I'm pestering but are you truly sure?" Kaien asked, a worried look upon his face. "It's not a place I would recommend so now would be the time to turn back." 

Yuuki looked up at Ichiru questioningly. "Ichiru, the Chairman is saying all that. Is it really alright for me to go there?"

"It's fine. You're a part of this, after all..." 

"Besides, Hime." Zero beamed. "Don't you want to see it with your own eyes?" 

Yuuki nodded with newfound determination. "Of course." 

Kaien sighed. "The one I'm really worried about is Ichiru. You were able to go in and out like normal before, but now you're in such a position..." 

Zero frowned, catching Kaien's meaning. "I see... Ichiru is a hunter but he is also the very thing they hunt. With that in mind, they're most likely to be hesitant in letting Ichiru into its depths..." 

Ichiru looked at his brother, scandalized. "Aniki!" 

Yuuki, on the other hand, took offense to what was being said. "What the hell is with that?! They're just using him at this point- Hmph." 

Two hands over one another had placed themselves over her mouth, stopping Yuuki mid-rant. She looked up at the twins who had simultaneously moved with confusion. Why had they stopped her? Yuuki had removed their hands and didn't face much resistance when she had done so. 

"Don't criticize the association so much." Zero warned. 

"The people who live in this town are vampire hunters and those involved with the Association." Ichiru finished, stepping forward and opening the door. "This might be where you need to go." 

"Yuuki, this is the main headquarters of the Hunter's Association." Kaien told her.

Ichiru stepped in first, followed by Zero, Yuuki and lastly Kaien. Yuuki looked around curiously, haven't been in such a place before. She took notice of the people walking about, already aware of the eyes on them or more specifically, one person. 

"They're not looking at you, so don't worry." Ichiru assured her. 

"Don't take it personally, it just happens to be that type of place." Zero added, walking closer to Ichiru. 

Yuuki, on the other hand, wasn't assured in the slightest. The place gave her an uncomfortable feeling that had her feeling nervous at it all. _It shouldn't be so nerve wracking to be here... _Yuuki thought, avoiding looking around

A man leaning against the wall hummed as the group of four passed. "There's a ward placed at the entrance to repel vampires but..." 

Both Yuuki and Zero had snapped their heads towards the man with clear animosity for similar reasons. _Is this man trying to say something about Ichiru?_ Both Yuuki and Zero had thought unknowingly in unison. As if sensing the trouble, Ichiru sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He just knew that either Yuuki or Zero were ready to defend. 

"If you were able to come in, that means you've been domesticated." His eyes landed on Ichiru's neck. "Ah, there's your brand."

Zero and Yuuki exchanged looks, coming to a silent agreement. Ichiru barely had time to process it when Yuuki hugged his arm and pulled him back while Zero stepped forward with a cyanide smile. 

"Does every grown hunter here tend to pick on the younger?" Zero asked, causing the man to scratch his head. 

"Oh, I see. His masters are here with him. I wonder if it's going to be alright..." 

Yuuki scowled, hugging Ichiru's arm tighter to her person. "What is up with this place? They're worse than the Night Class..." 

Ichiru snickered, causing both teenagers to turn to him with a look of incredibility. 

'What are you laughing at, Ichiru?!" 

"Yes dear brother, what are you laughing at?" 

Kaien stood off to the side, wondering what to do about the scene playing in front of him. 

"That should be enough." A new voice interrupted. "Ichiru is a respected ally." 

The group turned to the newcomer- the person stood tall and with clear authority, hair pulled back elegantly and outfit a kimono with frills on its inner layer. They held a hand fan in front of them. Yuuki was confused on their gender, their appearance androgynous. They smiled, eyes opening just the slightest as they continued to talk. 

"He was born to the Kiryuu family, a superior family even amongst hunters and with the powers of a vampire. He is to become an even more dependable ally." 

The man bowed his head slight. "Forgive me, President." His expression went dark. "He is a vampire after all." 

The hand fan smacked the man on his head. "You're being stubborn." 

"Urgh, forgive me." He said, walking away. 

They turn to the group with a smile, the fan barely covering pale colored lips. "And so, why did you come here today?" 

Eyes landed on Ichiru's figure. "Oh, you've grown so big Ichiru. And Zero is here as well." 

"It's been awhile." Ichiru greeted with a slight nod. 

"Hello, President." Zero greeted with his usual smile.

The President shuffled over to Yuuki, bending forward just the slightest as their eyes wandered all over Yuuki's face. "Oh? And is this your girlfriend?" 

Yuuki felt her face heating up. "E-Eh?" 

Ichiru sighed. "We're here to see the report from ten years ago." 

The President pouted. "You're so cold, Ichiru. Hey Cross-kun. I think you might've made a mistake with your education policy." 

Kaien laughed. "If you have no intentions of guiding us, please be on your way." 

"Okay, okay. I understand. Follow me." 

... 

"These are private reports. I'll only show them to you because it concerns Cross-kun and I." 

The trio of perfects followed behind Kaien and the President of the Hunter's Association. Zero and Ichiru had walked with Yuuki between them, silence settling over them with only their footsteps to be heard. Yuuki stared at the back of the President, deep in thought. 

"Hey, the Association President is supposed to be a great person... What does it mean when she knows the Chairman personally?"

"I guess you still haven't heard about it." 

Yuuki sighed. "Yeah, he always manages to dodge me when it comes to that." 

They finally reached a large library, shelves and shelves of books all around them with a few people scattered here and there. The President introduced the place to the group behind them. 

"Welcome, my friends, to the Library of Records. Here sleeps the history of all the major battles between vampires and vampire hunters." 

Ichiru looked down at Yuuki. "Do you want to give up?" 

Yuuki shook her head. "I won't give up. I think it's best if I can recover my memory. I'm just a bit nervous..." 

Zero patted Yuuki on the head, in hopes of reassuring her. Ichiru tugged her forward by her sleeves. "The reports from ten years ago are supposed to be this way." 

...

Kaien placed the stack of books in his hand on the table. 

"I've collected all the reports up until the time you were born." Kaien smiled at Yuuki who stood to the side. "You yourself might realize something that I've missed when I searched before." 

Yuuki smiled, stepping forward. On the sidelines, Ichiru and Zero had went their separate ways and searched for more books as well. 

"Ichiru." Upon hearing his name, Ichiru turned to the President. 

"Come with me. Let's search the uncategorized section." 

Ichiru followed the president who continued to talk to him. 

"The reports in the back have been so badly damaged that it's hard to read even half of it." 

Ichiru felt a wave of dread wash over him. The scent of blood had shaken him, caught him off guard. It came from the papers that were presented on the tables, old blood staining the edges and the scraps. 

"They were able to soak up the blood of their brethren. Everything here were sent from a place of death." 

Right then and there, Ichiru felt like he was but a young child, wanting nothing more than to hide behind his brother for comfort. 

...

"The report for the last crime scene... As ordered, three bodies were exterminated. The end. P.S Starting tomorrow, I will make my front as my main occupation. Kaien Cross'." Yuuki read out loud, taking notice the name written at the end. _This is the records from sixteen years ago..._ "Why does this have the Chairman's full name on it?" 

Yuuki turned to Kaien with an epiphany. "You were a vampire hunter in the past, Chairman?" 

Kaien hid his face with the book in his hands. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you earlier that I had killed vampires long ago... I didn't want you to know." 

_This..._ Yuuki thought as she relaxed. _Makes a lot of sense now._ She closed the book. "But, you're my dad so nothing has changed." 

The book that covered his face lowered, a bright look on his face. "Yuuki..." 

Yuuki sighed. "Geez. I made the mistake and opened the book from sixteen years ago. I wanted to search in the records from ten years ago first..."

... 

"As I thought... You're reacting very nervously." 

Ichiru slumped against the wall, hand gripping his throat which ached in want. The overwhelming scent of blood made him dizzy and his body was slowly becoming weak at the thought of fulfilling his hunger. He should've known that the President would've pulled off something like this... 

"Even if you were thirsty, you don't know when it'll become a hindrance while on the job. It seems that the twin born to a hunter's lineage is thoroughly cursed. I cannot make light of the legends from the past."

Ichiru panted. "What are you talking about?" 

The President kneeled in front of him. "Ichiru, you're an acquaintance of Kaname Kuran, are you not? Even though you do not have the appropriate influence, Kurans are the highest pedigree among the purebloods. If you were able to receive his blood..."

They smiled. "You might be able to extend the time it takes to fall to Level E.

Ichiru avoided the President's gaze. "I don't want to extend my life that long..." 

The President stood straight. "Although no one has attempted that. But I would like you to work more for me..."

"Kyaa!" 

Yuuki's scream had Ichiru regaining his strength. He got up and staggered out of the room. Once he was away from the blood drenched room, his strength returned once more and he practically sprinted towards the girl. 

"What's the matter, Yuuki?!" 

Ichiru took notice of Zero holding Yuuki in his arms. The girl appeared shocked, hands tightly gripping onto the front of Zero's coat and the protective arm around her waist. In front of the pair was a book, the pages it was opened to were burning into pieces and ash. 

"That's..." Ichiru was shocked. 

"I don't know..." Yuuki cried out, moving impossibly closer to Zero. "When I tried to lay my eyes on it, it burst into flames... The page about that winter ten years ago..." 

Zero narrowed his eyes. "It seems like someone doesn't want you finding out just yet, Hime." 

_ Chapter 29: END _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mm.   
The last of the four day updates is tomorrow. It was fun when it lasted. Might do the same thing for Christmas. Or whatever holiday comes by. Sounds like a very good idea. You guys happen to like the jealous Kaname/Zero moments so I can only hope to fit that into the later chapters. A quick question but if I were to post some original works on here, would you lovely people read them? Ah, I'm going off topic. Any questions can be asked in the comments and will answered in the end notes of the next chapter. 
> 
> Until next update...


	32. Devotion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before the present loyalty, there was a past that had a rocky start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello.   
This chapter is Aidou-centric, so there's that. Not much to say this time. 
> 
> Do enjoy.

The train station was busy. 

People walked all about but none were too busy to stop and stare at the beautiful group of people who had just walked off of the train. The students of the Night Class had garnered attention anywhere they went, which should be no surprise that they have caught attention now. As Kaname Kuran stepped out of the train, even more people began to stare. 

"Kaname-sama," Aidou began. "We should've taken a car even if it would've taken longer than the train." 

"Aidou, we're only being watched. I doubt these people will rush us." Kaname said, waving Aidou's concern off. 

Ruka sighed. "The Day Class started off by only gazing at us like this." 

"Now that you mention it..." Ichijo muttered. "Kaname is the only one being watched from a distance at the school. Maybe they instinctually understand that he is a fiendish creature wearing the skin of a beautiful human...?" 

"T-Takuma-sama..." 

"Fiendish creature..." Rima repeated in monotone. 

"Kaname-sama, Ichijo is saying those things about you..." Aidou said, shuffling closer to the pureblood. 

"Yes.. I think he's hit the mark." Kaname turned to look at Aidou. "In any case, it's finally break time so let us stop the formalities, Aidou." 

"Of course..." 

_If that is what Kaname-sama says, I have all intentions of complying. _

... 

**In order to spend our long holiday, we took the underground rapid railroad to my family's mansion. **

"Welcome home from a long journey." The servant greeted with a lantern in hand. 

**We are far enough away from school that the climate is different. It's not far if you use the world encompassing 'subterranean underground rapid railroad' that connects countries.**

Aidou leaned towards the butler. "Did you tell father that 'I went to Toya's house'?" 

The butler gave him a thumbs up. "Hanabusa-sama, I have cautiously made sure everyone will spend time undisturbed." 

Not long after, the vampires had settled into the mansion. 

"Ah, since we're all here, I wish we could all sleep together." Ichijo said light heartedly. 

"Takuma-sama!" Ruka gasped scandalized. "If grandmother found out we did that, she would kill." 

Aidou stared at the scene solemnly. _What an idiot..._ He stared at the face of the other. Ichijo Takuma, the grandson of the monster 'Ichiou' that controls the Council. 

"Yeah... Ichijo's grandfather is rather oppressive so it's natural that Kaname-sama became a runaway..." 

Ichijo looked at the other with a startled look. "Wha- What are you saying all of a sudden..." 

At that moment, Kaname had chosen to walk in. "I'm sorry Aidou for looking after a homeless me." 

"K-Kaname-sama!" Aidou turned around in shock, never meaning for his words to be heard as such. "Kaname-sama, I'm not saying you're bothersome..." 

But already, Ichijo had tackled the pureblood into a hug with tears in his eyes. "Kaname, Kaname, Aidou's so mean. I can't do anything about my grandfather but he still says such hurtful things!" 

Kaname played along, patting the pitiful Ichijo's head. "He has the situation to stay over night." 

"Uh-huh." 

Aidou practically trembled. "What are you two rich kids saying?!" 

From the sidelines, Kain and Rima watched the scene play out. 

"I think I saw this scene last year..." 

"Well, it's just like a costume they have from long ago." Kain replied. 

By the window, Ruka had sighed. "Just when we came to a place where we can spread our wings, Hanabusa is always played by the same method and never learns from it." 

Aidou frowned, looking down at the floor. 

_ **I never learn? I know that. I've hardly learned anything from when I first met Kaname-sama... ** _

... 

Aidou Hanabusa was four years old in human years when he had met Kaname Kuran for the first time. 

The girls around him praised him for his brilliance and adorable appearance, unknowingly swelling the boy's ego and pride. He had basked in the compliments, knowing full well that the attention was on him and only on him. The butler had clapped his hands, catching the attention of everyone. 

"Ladies, break time is over. Please return before your etiquette teacher does." He said, earning 'okay's' in response. When he approached Aidou, he leaned forward with a smile. 

"You're preparing for you lesson? You are a boy I can be proud of, even Master has been joyous for having a splendid son." 

Hanabusa lowered his head, acting humble yet soaking up all the compliments. 

**I was the long-awaited first son of the noble family, Aidou. Back then, I had a confidence that I was the world's cutest and smartest. **

_Knock_

"Come in." Hanabusa said, looking up from his book as the person came in. Turquoise eyes landed on the brunette boy at the doorway. 

"I felt the presence of a child and I just had to look. Are you this family's child?" 

**At first glance, I knew he was a 'special being'. **

Hanabusa had stared for quite awhile before catching his obvious staring. He stood from his chair and went on the defensive. 

"Who... Who are you? You are a disrespectful person."

_I'm not going to be charmed by this person._ He had thought just as the boy was about to answer. 

"Kaname-sama!" Hanabusa's father had rushed in a panic. "If only you had waited a bit longer, I would've given you a tour of the mansion." 

Kaname looked up at the elder Aidou. "I'm sorry for going off on my own." 

"No, no. Don't worry about it. Did my Hanabusa do anything rude?" 

Hanabusa blanched. "Father! The rude one was..." 

The boy only looked at the other with a serene smile. "No, it's just that I haven't been around kids my age. I'm Kaname Kuran. Will you be my friend...?" 

**_Kuran_, one of the pureblood lineage... **

"No." 

**Later on that day, I would learn about the power that purebloods held and how important they and especially the Kurans were. **

...

"Kaname-sama hasn't tried to go home to his mansion." 

Ruka's sentence had caught Aidou out of his reminiscing. He continued listening as the other aristocrat continued to talk. 

"Ever since we started life at the dorm, even during the holidays..." 

"I understand how he feels." Aidou lowered his gaze. "All Kaname-sama has is the Council. Even now, he's being controlled by Ichiou under the guise of kindness. Plus... The mansion holds memories of his parents, it might hard for him..."

... 

**The next time I met him was when I was the age allowed to attend the Night Soiree. He was at the center of a gathering of vampires. **

"Oh, what a poor child..." 

"Yes, what a pity..." 

"Two purebloods... To lose both your parents at once... A suicide..." 

**There was something different since the last time I've met him. **

"My condolences..." Aidou had said once he and the remaining Kuran were alone. 

"Ah, you... You've met my parents before." 

"Yes, they were kind people..." 

"Mm. They were very kind." Kaname looked at Aidou dully. "Are you done, Aidou-kun?" 

When Aidou said nothing, Kaname walked past him. "Then goodbye." 

Seeing his chance, he called out to the pureblood. "Um... Was there something else that's... Bothering you?" 

Kaname stared. "Why... Do you think that?" 

Aidou avoided the other's gaze. "No... No reason..." _What am I doing?_

"I asked you, why...?" 

Aidou gripped his fist tighter, fingernails digging into his palm. Was he this scary before? "Your attitude has changed." 

Kaname narrowed his eyes, turning around to walk and stand in front of Aidou. The pureblood leaned in close enough to whisper into Aidou's ear. "If you did know something, I thought that I might have to kill you." 

Silence settled between them as Aidou stilled at the threat. Kaname chuckled but it held no humor. "Just kidding. That was a bad joke." 

"Kaname-sama..." Both boys had turned to the vampire at the doorway. "There are people who wish to pay their condolences to you." 

_Condolences...? _

"Yes, I'll go soon, Ichiou." 

In a sudden burst of courage, Aidou had told something to the pureblood just as he was about to leave. "Kaname-sama, if you don't like it then just say you don't like it!" 

"Why?" 

"I know because I'm your friend." He finished boldly, looking straight at Kaname. 

"You said you hated me." Kaname pointed out, recalling the words from long ago. 

"No, I just hated myself for not accepting that I liked you." Aidou responded, only to slap his hands over his mouth. He hadn't expected to blurt out such a confession meant for only his ears to hear. 

_ **In that moment, I saw a faint glimpse of a smile... And in my heart, I decided to be the one that can truly protect him. ** _

"Kaname-sama, I... I like you, Kaname-sama!" 

**But from the time his parents died, Kaname-sama's mental state began to change. As if little by little, he was turned to poison. And then there's the rumor. The nobles have ignored as if in fear. The parents who looked after Kaname-sama with gentle eyes... **

...

_Why would they have to commit suicide? _

"Hey Hanabusa?" Kain's voice startled Aidou out of his thoughts. "Where's Ruka?" 

Aidou blinked up at Kain's and Ichijou's faces hovering over his. "Oh... She said she and Rima were going to go look at the garden." 

"Hey, it's boring when you're quiet." Ichijo pouted then he spotted Kaname who had just walked in. "Hey Kaname, you should've brought Yuuki-chan. That way, Kaname is..." 

Ichijo blinked when he received a glare from the pureblood. "Ah, he glared at me." 

Kaname had taken a seat in front of the two blondes, seeming to be in a much sour mood than before. He opened the book in his hand, flipping through the pages until he found where he had last left off.

"It's my fault that Kaname's mood is sour. He sure is short tempered." Ichijo said without restraint. 

"He can hear you..." 

"Aidou. What were you thinking about?" Kaname asked out of nowhere. 

The person in question froze, unsure about how to answer without feeling like he was prying too much into the pureblood's business. 

"If it's hard to say, don't worry about it." 

Aidou looked downward in thought before gaining the courage to outright as his burning question. "May I ask one thing?" 

"What is it?" 

"Your parents... Why did they commit suicide?" 

Ichijo placed both of his hands over Aidou's eyes, ready to help Kaname avoid answering such a sensitive question. "Idol-kun... Kaname has issues with his reply so..." 

"I don't mind, Ichijo. If you're going to be asking, then I suppose you already know the answer. A pureblood vampire's life is much longer than those of the noble class and, there's no chance of dying from disease or an accident. Outside of long life is death... Which is only either suicide or murder." 

"Mr. and Mrs. Kuran didn't seem like the type to commit suicide..." 

"Indeed. My parents were murdered." 

**I will protect him until the end. _Even if I expose the bloody past of the Kuran family_. **

_ Chapter 30: END _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm.   
Still following the manga, don't worry, we're approaching diversion fairly quickly. There will be hints of it here and there but I'm sure you all will notice it. Any questions can be asked in the comments and answered in the end notes of the next chapter. 
> 
> Until net update...


	33. Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new player approaches. But are they truly new when they've been in the game before it had even started?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh? What's this- An update?  
So, another chapter without Zero. Don't worry, your favorite character is definitely in the next chapter. Also, two words. Rido Kuran. Oho, I do hope my prepared plot twist will be satisfying. But I digress as always. 
> 
> Do enjoy.

When Shiki Senri had entered his home, he was greeted to a familiar sight. 

"I'm home." 

Right on the steps sat his mother, staring absentmindedly into space. Her maroon hair was messy and wild as if she hadn't combed it in days, shawl hanging on the crook of her elbows and covering her legs. She had taken notice of her son arriving after a few seconds, looking into Shiki's solemn face with out of focus eyes. Shiki approached the woman, leaning down as she reached up to touch him. 

"Senri..." 

"I'm back, mother." 

The woman hugged her son close, repeating his name as if he was to disappear if she hadn't. 

"Let's at least comb your hair. The fans from your acting days would cry if they saw you like this..." 

She pulled back and gave him a child-like smile. 

... 

Shiki was brushing his mother's hair when she began to talk. 

"You're... Beginning to look more like that demonic bastard." She noted, looking in the mirror right at him. 

"Really?" Shiki wondered. "Since I don't know father's face, I've always thought I looked a lot like you." 

"Yes, you do but... I liked that deep look that never told me what he was thinking. The same look that you have." 

Shiki paused in his brushing, silence filling the room. His mother had pulled out an envelope, handing it to him. "Senri, there's a letter from the Council of Ancients." 

Burgundy eyes widened as she continued. "My uncle from the Council of Ancients came by Yesterday while you were out and asked me to give it to you. Since Uncle doesn't have children, I think he wants you to succeed him." 

His mother turned around, reaching up to wrap both arms around his neck. "Of course, we can't say no because he's from the Council of Ancients. But come home quickly, okay? And..." She opened her mouth, nearing closer to her son's neck. "I'm hungry, give me some fresh blood." 

"How spoiled," Shiki remarked in his monotone. "Well, alright." 

She didn't waste any time in taking what she wanted. 

... 

"_Murdered_... Who killed them?" 

Aidou was in disbelief. Someone had killed Kaname's parents yet everyone had ruled it as a suicide. _But..._ "You can't take away a pureblood's life so easily... Don't tell me that the one who did it was that mad woman...?" 

Kaname looked deep into Aidou's eyes. "Aidou, you'd better not know more than what I've told you." 

The blond had stood up in protest. "But why, Kaname-sama? Then why did you give me part of the truth?" 

"I figured that if I told you nothing, you would act rashly on your own." Aidou had quickly quieted upon hearing this. "But I mustn't tell you more than this for now. So there won't be another senseless death..." 

"Kaname-sama... I want to use my powers for you..." 

"Aidou, don't say such things." 

Aidou blinked. "Ichijo..." 

"Sorry but not now, you know?" Ichijo laughed but anyone could see it was a bit strained. 

"Yes... I'm sorry Kaname-sama." 

"It's alright." Kaname assured though they both knew it wasn't.

"Please excuse me..." 

"Aidou." He froze. "At first, I thought you were thinking that I had killed my own parents." 

"Huh?" 

"To tell you the truth, the fact that you didn't made me very happy." 

... 

Kain had walked in with a bouquet of flowers in his hand. Upon seeing Aidou on the bed with books surrounding him, he looked at the other vampire with a questioning gaze.

"What's that? What odd books are lying all over your bed?" 

Aidou didn't even look up. "These are records of the evening parties of our patronage and our family trees. I'm searching for people who could possibly have been enemies of the Kuran family. And then, I'll finally find out about Kaname-sama's secrets for sure."

"Well..." Kain began. "It's dangerous." 

"Yeah but... I have a real bad feeling about all of this." 

...

"Welcome." 

The servant had greeted as Shiki entered. The welcome had went ignored by the aristocrat who stared at the man in front of him. There stood his great-uncle, who had been awaiting Shiki's arrival. The man gave him a polite smile which Shiki hadn't even bothered to reciprocate. 

"Thank you for coming Senri." 

"It's been awhile, Great Uncle." 

They began to walk, his great-uncle leading him somewhere. "Everyone doing well over there?" 

"Yeah, quite okay. But to be honest, all the employees have been fired." 

"So I've heard. Don't worry about that now." The man had a glint in his eyes that spoke of something troublesome. "Today, I want to show you something, Senri."

He was led down a set of brick stairs, deep into the basement. There was something unsettling about where they were going and Shiki had a feeling he wasn't going to like it. "I really don't like it here." 

"What? It's not about taking over my place. You're not a child anymore. That's why as part of the Shiki family, I will reveal to you my deepest secret that I've hidden up until now." 

The doors pushed open, an ominous feeling coming from the strange contraption inside. In the middle of the room was a funnel-like object being held over the open casket, it was held up by strings and from its thin end was droplets of blood falling down into the blood filled casket. Blood had spilled from over the casket's edges, flowing down onto the floor as if someone had leaned over the edge, drenched with blood and went back in. 

"The reason was to protect him... _Your father_." 

Shiki's eyes had widened for just a split second as he approached the casket. He touched the edge that wasn't completely covered in blood. "So he hasn't died... How disgusting." 

"How cruel to say something like that about your father." A child's voice pipped from the other side of the casket. "He may not look like it, but he's quite alive!" 

The boy smiled with both eyes closed. "But it seems like it's reached its limit now, that's why..." 

When his eyes opened, they were dual colored- one a pale pastel blue yet the other was a startling wine-red color that matched a certain pureblood's. "I was looking forward to meet you when you've grown up." 

Shiki was shocked at the eyes. _Different colored eyes?_

His uncle settled into a deep bow. "Excuse me for keeping you waiting, Young Master..." 

As if on cue, the child he slipped into unconsciousness, slumping against the side and sleeping peacefully. Shiki watched the casket with weary eyes as silence settled in for just a few moments. The calm before the storm... 

_Splash_

A clawed hand smacked against the casket's edge, followed by the rising body that had once laid lifeless within the coffin. A droplet of blood had landed on Shiki's cheek upon the splashing action of the hand. 

Shiki could only watch as those dual-colored eyes opened on a very familiar face. The events of what had happened next had blurred and before Shiki knew it... 

_Black was something Shiki was going to see for a very long time._

...

"Kaname-sama, I've returned..." 

Kaname looked up at the vampire with expectant eyes. "Welcome back, Seiren. How was it?" 

Seiren settled into a bow, never once looking up into Kaname's eyes. "I watched them, my lord..." 

The flowers in Ruka's hands began to wilt as the female told Kaname of what she had witnessed. The pureblood seemed a bit frustrated, recalling the words that had been told to him just before the break had truly begun. 

"Zero's words ring true once again. I had hoped that he would continue to sleep on forever..."

...

Yuuki sat in her room, staring up at the sky through her window. 

_Knock. Knock. _

"Yes? Who is it?" 

The doorknob wiggled and in walked Ichiru. "It's me. What are you doing here, all alone?" 

Yuuki smiled. "I wanted to think a little bit in a silent place, that's all." Then, she frowned. "Ichiru, just because nobody's here doesn't mean you can come barging into the Girl's Dorm! It's bad."

Ichiru scoffed. "Pot calling the kettle black, isn't it?" 

Yuuki puffed her cheeks and patted the spot beside her. "Don't just stand there, take a seat." 

Once Ichiru had plopped himself on the bed beside Yuuki, Ichiru began voicing his opinion on what Yuuki had been thinking about. 

"You were thinking about that book's page concerning that night you were rescued ten years ago... About it burning, right?" 

"Yeah..." Yuuki recalled the moment when the page had burst into flames. "When I tried to investigate my past, it burned up. Even when I tried remembering without any triggers, I started hallucinating." She buried her face into her knees, legs hugged close to her person. "It's too strange.. I kinda had the feeling that someone is trying to stop us from digging up the events of ten years ago... Who knows, my memories might have been tempered with." 

_Kaname had came to mind but he couldn't have anything to do with her memories other than that one time, right...? _"I'm not sure, but there are some things I must clarify... With Kaname-senpai." 

Yuuki looked up, spotting Ichiru with a concern expression on his face. The brunette smiled, smooshing her hand against the side of Ichiru's face. "Hey, what's up with the concerned face?"

"You... You don't really like me being worried?" 

Yuuki frowned. "No, that's not it... I just think it's not worth it. I don't want Ichiru to waste precious time worrying about me. I'm really alright. That's why... I want you to..." 

Ichiru leaned close, startling the girl mid-sentence. They were so close that Yuuki had recalled that moment where they almost shared a kiss. Ichiru stared into her eyes intensely. 

"Yuuki." 

"Y-Yes?" She avoided his gaze. _Why am I suddenly remembering that time..._

"Sorry." Was all Ichiru said as he opened his mouth wider. 

"Ichiru...? Ah!" 

Sharp teeth sank into her flesh so suddenly that she had reached out to grip Ichiru's sleeves. There was something off about the way Ichiru was drinking from her and she was ready to make it known. It felt like he was drinking more than usual... 

"Ichiru... Let... Let go... Stop it." She began struggled. "Ichiru... Stop!" 

Abruptly, the boy had pulled away. His fangs were still elongated but his expression was pained. 

"If I don't drink your blood like this, I won't be able to live. Do you understand? You're the victim here, Yuuki. That's why you have the right to be cruel to me." Ichiru said, forcing the girl to look into his eyes. "No matter how much you make me worry or how much danger I put you in, you're just like me. But..." 

Yuuki can now see the distress falling upon Ichiru. "But this is not enough compensation. Even if I have to sacrifice the last of my life for you, I won't utter a single word of complaint." 

Those words had Yuuki falling into Ichiru's embrace, tears beginning to fall as she hiccupped. "I'm scared, Ichiru... What could my past be like?" 

Ichiru could only hug and comfort Yuuki in silence. 

_ Chapter 31: END _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm... Have to love some old fashion possession.   
Also, Ichiru/Yuuki. It feels like their relationship is going nowhere but it will take a long while for Ichiru to actually admit his feelings. Besides, I might be a little sadistic with that pairing... Oh my. Now, we're slowly getting somewhere with Rido making his entrance. I might make art to celebrate 5k hits, because honestly, I never expected people to be that interested in my psychic Zero idea nor liking my writing as much. I'll try to keep it as in character as possible, so do forgive me if they somehow stray from their current personalities. Any questions can be asked in the comments and will be answered in the end notes of the next chapter. 
> 
> Until next update...


	34. Back to School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the break ending, the students return, blissfully unaware of the trouble that follows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... Merry Christmas.   
So it is Christmas Eve and I went off-grid for a good for two/three-ish weeks now. Apparently, Lady Luck wasn't on my side and I went without wi-fi for a week and struggled with trying to get things done... That needed to be done on a computer. On the bright side, I bring you this update. Think of it as an apology and a Christmas gift all in one. Also, things happen. A lot of things, actually. You might find some things escalating... Very, very slowly like the rest of this story.
> 
> Do enjoy.

It went like so.

Zero stood with immense dread washing over him. The room barely had light with the exception of the few candlelight. Right in the middle was an unmarked gravestone, where he knew the Red King would resurrect himself. And while Zero didn't have a vampire's keen sense of smell, even he could tell that the room stank with the distinct scent of blood. Now, Zero didn't have direct dreams like this very often- where instead of flashing images and complex meanings, the messages were given upright and with no puzzle-solving skills required.

But he should've known that _son of a bitch _would be the one to break the pattern.

Sangria eyes stared at the grave with hatred burning deep.

"You were supposed to remain in which you were meant." He told the gravestone. "Whom have you taken form of? The one whose thoughts you've corrupted?"

The sound of blood rippling was his response.  
  


...  
  


The trio of perfects stood by the entrance, watching the students walk past them. 

While Yuuki and Ichiru were feeling well into their moods as they could, Zero stood in the back with a forced smile on his face whenever the two had turned to him with concern. Such things wouldn't have bothered anyone but it seems like Zero wasn't being as discreet as he thought he was. 

All because of one person. 

"I'm home," Kaname Kuran had greeted the trio.

"Welcome back." Yuuki returned, a bright smile on her face. 

Ichiru had given Kaname a nod, attempting to be polite with the pureblood. Zero, however, gave no indication that he had heard Kaname, which gained a single glance in response. How odd was it for Zero not to coddle up to gain some information about what had happened over the break. 

They both knew something had happened, after all. 

But instead of stressing over Zero's unusual behavior, he had handed Yuuki a vial. "Here's a present, Yuuki." 

"Thank you," Yuuki said, taking the vial in hand. She became awed once she realized it was a rose in resin as if being preserved for years to come. 

"It's a rose which only blooms once every ten years, hardened in resin. I decided to get it because it was unique." Kaname gazed at her before playfully asking. "Would you have liked food instead?" 

"Huh?" Yuuki felt her face heat up. "That's not it, I just thought it was pretty." She glanced down to the object held between Kaname's arm and torso. 

"It was a beautiful place where even a rose would bloom during this season. I will take you there next time..." Kaname trailed off, noticing how the girl had taken to staring at the suspicious looking object. Teasingly, he smiled at the brunette. "It's not food." 

"Y-Yes, I can tell by looking." 

Kaname turned to Ichiru and handed him the... Thing. "Here's a present, Ichiru." 

Ichiru took one look at it and immediately thought, Oh hell no. "I don't want it."

The smile that Kaname had on his face turned mocking as he explained what the object was. "It's a life-sized doll said to be cursed from ages past... I bought it just for you." 

Ichiru took the cursed doll in hand, stared at it for naught a few seconds before slamming it to the ground and stomping on it a few times. He beat up upon the doll, getting rid of some stress and the irritation building up at the pureblood's supposed gift. 

"Thank you very much, Kaname-senpai. It has served its purpose well enough."

Sensing the tension, Yuuki stood between the two men. "K-Kaname-senpai, um... I have something that I would like to speak to you about. Later at school..." 

"What? Is it a confession?" 

Yuuki felt the blush rising on her face. "Huh?! Um..." 

It didn't take long for Yuuki to scatter along, dragging Ichiru with her as she yelled out to the other students. "Everyone, please let me check your names off the student roster!" 

This left Kaname and Zero alone to their own devices. Just as Kaname had turned to the remaining perfect, Zero was already by his side. There was something different about Zero and it was making Kaname uneasy. While Zero did have his off moments, this wasn't one of those. 

Something was wrong and Kaname had a feeling that Zero wasn't going to tell him exactly _what_ was wrong. 

"Kaname... I..." Zero fidgeted in his spot, avoiding Kaname's gaze. "There is something that I must ask of you." 

"You seem to be asking me for a lot lately." Kaname said, taking notice of how Zero had taken to biting his bottom lip and making it turn a red color under the constant pressure. 

"Yes, but it is of most importance that you do this. So that you can proceed with your plans..." 

"Very well, what is it?" 

Zero motioned for the pureblood to tilt his head downward. Kaname complied to the hunter's wishes and let the other whisper his request into his ear. Burgundy eyes widened at what the hunter was asking him.

"... I shall see to it." 

The small smile he had gotten in return had somewhat relieved Kaname for reasons unknown.  
  


...   
  


"Master, Takuma-sama has returned home." 

Ichiou swiveled around in his chair, looking at his grandson with a stern gaze. "You obediently came home." 

Ichijo smiled. "It would be troublesome if you came to the academy like you did before, Grandfather."

"To pay a visit to Kaname-sama to see how he's doing is only natural for a guardian." Ichiou said, completely ignoring his grandson's jab at his last visit. 

"Grandfather, Kaname did deem that having a guardian was 'useless'... Or did you forget that he also declared the Senior Council's interference with the school as 'unnecessary'?" 

Ichiou's gaze hardened. "I am just concerned about Kaname-sama. Recently, it seems he has been deepening his friendship with the Aidou's." 

The blond laughed. "It's probably because he's much easier to be with, unlike grandfather. The Aidou family is a faction of nostalgic regal powers that are against the Council. One can even say the only families that are truly for the Council are the Ichijou's and, of course, the Shiki family. Kaname has no interest in royal powers. I say this as 'his friend' and it has nothing to do with the council." 

Ichiou stood up from his seat. "You need to discard such naïve notions quickly. You do understand your duties, do you not? I had you educated with that expectation in mind." 

"Grandfather, I..." 

"There is someone I want you to meet." Ichiou cut him off, walking out of the room with Ichijo in tow. "For that reason, I have summoned you here, so come with me." 

"Is it someone you mentioned before? A pureblood from the Shirabuki family?" 

Ichiou didn't bother to answer. "You'll understand when you meet him." 

The servants had opened the door as the two approached. In front of them was a scene Ichijo hadn't expected to be happening. The person sitting in the chair held the unconscious woman by her arm, dropping her to the ground upon their arrival. 

"I am sorry to keep you waiting... How did you like it?" 

The person wiped the blood off their mouth with the back of their hand. "Not bad." 

"That is good to hear..." Ichiou bowed deeply. "_Master_."   
  


...  
  


Yuuki was waiting for Kaname, staring up at the full moon. 

Her vision pulsated, a sign that there was yet another hallucination to come and haunt her. Looking down at her hand, she felt something slimy and of course, it was blood coating her hand. She gripped her hand, shaking her head to get rid of the illusion. 

_It's an illusion. Only an illusion. _She said to herself in self reassurance. _So I can't be scared..._

Yuuki's senses were going haywire, the hallucination already getting to her. Her heart was pounding as she listened to the footsteps approaching... 

Then she attacked. 

Her Artemis Rod had struck someone's hand, the sound of crackling had echoed through the hallway. The person whom she had attacked had been the very one she had been waiting to meet with. Kaname hadn't even flinched at the pain being inflicted by the vampire hunter weapon. 

"Yuuki..."

"K-Kaname-senpai...!" 

Quickly, Yuuki had pulled away only to be embraced by the pureblood. The Artemis Rod had fallen to the floor with a noisy clatter as Yuuki's body relaxed in Kaname's embrace. 

"What are you scared about?" He asked. 

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry Kaname-senpai..." 

Kaname exhaled softly. "I'm alright. Are you calm now?"

Yuuki only kept apologizing. How could I? To point my staff against him even for a second...

"Yuuki, what is it that you wanted to talk to me about that you couldn't say it in front of everyone?" 

Upon hearing the question, Yuuki moved back to look up at the pureblood. "I... I want to ask you a question... Kaname-senpai..." 

_Why were you on that snow covered mountain ten years ago? Were you the one who took away my memory?_ The questions were there but they refused to come out of her mouth. Almost as if sensing her distress, Kaname gently caressed the side of her face. 

"It's alright. You can ask me whatever you like. My feelings for you won't change. I've never told you this outright but you already know, don't you?" Kaname hugged her again, whispering into her ear like a lover. 

"I love you more than anything in the world... So if there is something I can do, I would take away all your miseries from you."   
  


...   
  


When Ichiru found Yuuki, the girl was sitting on the floor in a daze. 

"Yuuki, are you okay? Were you able to ask him?" 

Snapping out of her daze, Yuuki looked downward as if she had failed in her mission, to which she quickly confirms to be true when she shakes her head to Ichiru's question. 

"I... I just couldn't get the words to come out..."_ I end up thinking that I want to believe Kaname-senpai. _Then, she took notice of Ichiru's appearance. 

"Ichiru, what happened? Your eyes are the color of blood." 

"This is nothing." Ichiru told her, expression pained for a split second. "Listen, don't stress yourself. I'm sure there will be a time when you'll be able to ask again, alright?" 

Yuuki can only nod.   
  


...  
  


Entering the Moon Dorms had been his choice. 

Ichiru knew damn well that Kaname wasn't going to give Yuuki the answers she needed outright. Also, the pureblood was long overdue on a much needed interrogation about the relationship between him and Zero. Life was so much easier when Kaname bloody Kuran wasn't involved. Right as he entered, there stood the person in question at the top of the stairs. 

"It's you... I knew I had sensed something unpleasant."

"You're getting bolder and bolder with your intense dislike, Kuran." Ichiru glared up at him. "You knew what Yuuki wanted to ask yet you didn't answer?" 

Kaname glanced at the other two vampires in the corridor. "Kain, Seiren. You two can go back to your rooms." He turned to Ichiru. "This is not the place to talk. Come to my room... That is, if you don't mind going to the room of your most hated vampire."   
  


...  
  


"Sit anywhere you like over there." 

Ichiru didn't even bother to sit and began his rapid fire of questions. "Were you the one that erased Yuuki's memories or not? And if you can't answer those questions, what reason would that be?" 

Kaname raised an eyebrow. "Anything else more to ask?" 

"Yes, as a matter of fact." Ichiru said with a glare. "What is your relationship with my brother? He's been acting strange- calling your name so familiarly like lovers, lingering touches and a sudden closeness that makes my skin crawl." 

The pureblood remained calm despite the sudden interrogation. He had expected Ichiru to question about Yuuki, but even to go as far as asking about his relationship with Zero? With a soft chuckle, Kaname stared straight into Ichiru's eyes.

"What is your purpose here, Ichiru?" Kaname probed. "You hate me, I despise you- yet here we are. Is all you're here to do is interrogate? But your timing couldn't be anymore perfect." 

Before Ichiru can even process what Kaname had meant, he was forced into the wall. The vampire strength had the wall breaking under Ichiru's body, the hand around Ichiru's neck was tight but not yet suffocating. However, Ichiru wasn't completely helpless for his blade was at the pureblood's neck, ready to slice off Kaname's head if necessary. 

"Go on." Ichiru baited. "Kill me and if I get the chance, I'll drag you with me." 

Kaname pushed Ichiru deeper into the wall. "Even now, you still have the strength to bear your fangs at me..." Kaname glared. "I truly despise you." 

Ichiru found himself on the floor next to the debris that followed, hand still around his neck but the movement had given Ichiru enough time to slice a thin line on the pureblood's neck. It wasn't deep enough to leave Kaname on the path to his end but just enough for blood to spill. Ichiru glared up at Kaname, the blade point now at the pureblood's heart. 

"Just how many times have you thought about killing me? But you wouldn't be satisfied if things went like that so easily." Blood dripped onto Ichiru's face, his body instinctively wanting to drink the blood presented. "Do all purebloods not know when to quit." 

"I don't want to hear that from someone like you. Besides, Yuuki and Zero would be sad if I had 'accidentally' killed you." _Zero would actually have my head_, Kaname mused at the thought. _What a lovely game of Cat and Mouse would that be... _

If looks could kill, Kaname would've died the moment Ichiru glared at him. Ichiru kept his defiant glare on his face but it was slightly wavering with his body's cry for blood. On the other hand, Ichiru's hatred for the vampire burned. How dare he bring Yuuki and his brother into this? 

A sharp pain at his neck had Ichiru gritting his teeth. Kaname had removed his hand but in the process, ripped the skin of his neck enough for blood splatter. _What a bloody mess_, Ichiru's passing thought should've been concerning but it just hadn't fazed him at that moment. 

"With how you look now, I wonder how you'll still be able to protect Yuuki." 

Ichiru scowled and held at the wound at his neck. "That would've been more effective if you had done it before all this melodrama." 

Kaname moved Ichiru's blade from his heart, leaning forward to whisper just enough for Ichiru to hear. "Listen, Ichiru. You should drink my blood now." 

"Quit joking, Kuran." 

"Why would this be a joke?" Kaname retorted. "Within my body flows the pureblood of the Kuran family, which will certainly lengthen your life and the insanity that plagues your mind will be nothing but a fly on the wall. It would be problematic for you to die now. You're lucky I've even given you this opportunity- you've been so useful to Yuuki and I know you would never betray her." 

"Get to the point Kuran." Ichiru spat.

"But you care more for your brother than you do Yuuki, don't you?" Kaname said bluntly. "If something were to happen to Zero because you weren't able to get yourself together, it would be on your conscious- no one else's." 

"You play dirty, Kuran." The anger Ichiru was feeling had simmered down at the mention of his beloved brother. "While I know your end goal is Yuuki, I long for the day my brother doesn't gaze at the world with such a sad face. I'm sure it's something you want for Yuuki, isn't it? To live without worries." 

"That is correct." 

Ichiru made his choice then and there, recalling the words uttered when he was supposed to be asleep.

**I'll protect you- even if I have to become the soul offered to the devil himself. **   
  


_Chapter 32: END_   
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And done!   
Well, what do you think? Are things becoming more interesting? This chapter was one of which I re-read and actually rethought some points but decided to change their original intention. Sometimes, my writing isn't consistent with certain details. Which is odd because I usually make it my business to remember EVERYTHING about my current works. Ah but I am digressing. Any questions can be asked in the comments and will be answered in the end notes of the next chapter. Do comment- I may not reply directly but it makes one (1) author very happy to read. 
> 
> Until next update...


	35. Reply

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone needs to give a reply sooner or later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise update ;)

_ **I'll protect you- even if I have to become the soul offered to the devil himself. ** _

Ichiru's silent vow rang resilient when he bit into the neck of Kaname Kuran. He drank greedily, his body relaxing once the effects of the pureblood's blood took effect. What he was doing now was for his brother and for Yuuki, who had been suffering long enough with his circumstances. He was tired of seeing the people who cared for him be harmed by his actions.

Kaname hadn't even flinched when Ichiru's fangs pierced his skin cruelly. _Bastard probably didn't even feel it_, Ichiru thought as he sucked harder to spite the pureblood. This time, he could feel the irritation spiking causing him to smirk against the pureblood's neck. 

"Don't forget who is giving you this blood, Ichiru." 

Ichiru growled with all his hatred in response. 

... 

When Yuuki woke up that next day, she was immediately reminded of the previous night's events. 

_I love you_, those words in Kaname's voice repeated itself over and over. Yuuki covered her ears in a vain attempt of ridding the voice plaguing her. All those intimate moments with Kaname flooded her thoughts and reminded her that she could no longer remain in this naïve mindset. _I've always avoided thinking about it- this relationship between me and Kaname-senpai. It can't be because Kaname-senpai and I are different..._

She came to an epiphany. "I understand... What I'm afraid of is how to answer him. 

...

Zero felt as if he should be worried. 

Oh, he knew Ichiru had approached Kaname the night before and that some events had taken place. Zero had felt the change in the air, the way it grew tense and gave off a ripple effect for those sensitive enough to feel it. _Or have the keen enough senses to smell it_, Zero mused as he tapped one end of his pencil on the paper. Which is probably why Ichiru was missing the first part of his classes. 

Ichiru was fine. But what wasn't fine was that dream. 

Zero felt himself frown but did nothing to rid himself of it. It was nearing two decades since he's last thought of that man. While he had spent his childhood with thoughts of caring for Ichiru and only Ichiru, he had lamented over what had been. Perhaps he wasn't just meant to live a peaceful life if the way he was living now had anything to do with it. Soon, class had ended and Zero packed away his notebooks into his bag. He was in the hallway, ready to go bring back Ichiru when Yuuki had approached him with a determined look upon her face. 

"Oh, Hime." Zero greeted with a smile. "Is there something you needed?" 

"Um... Yes, actually. I know me and Ichiru haven't been telling you a lot of things lately..." Yuuki had looked anywhere but on him. 

"That is very true. Am I that untrustworthy?" Zero tilted his head, his question causing Yuuki to flinch. "Proceed."

"R-Right... Anyway, I would like for you to come to the Moon Dorms with me! I would ask Ichiru but..." 

"He isn't here right now." Zero hummed. "Sure, I'll come. But what for?" 

Yuuki gulped. "Well, I wanted to confront Kaname-senpai about my past but every time I try to, I become tongue-tied and the words die on the tip of my tongue. If this continues, I won't be able to move forward..." She bowed in a ninety degree angle. "So please..." 

A hand bopped Yuuki's head softly, causing the girl to look up in bewilderment. "Zero...?" 

"No need to look upon me with such a serious gaze, Hime. I am just a pawn so use me as you please." 

Yuuki could only stare in confusion. "Pawn...?" 

... 

Ichiru had ended up staying longer than he had intended. 

After taking Kaname's blood, he had blacked out. Now that he's come to, he's realized that they've destroyed the room beyond comparison. _Zero would kill me if it were our room..._ He thought dazedly. In front of him sat Kaname Kuran who gripped the wound at his neck. 

"The place in which your blade has cut me hurts even now..." Kaname glared at him. "This is why I hate weapons specialized for vampires. Thanks to it, your bite mark still hasn't healed yet. Biting me so mercilessly and in the same proximity of the wound... It pisses me off." 

Ichiru bared his teeth despite his pain. "Shut up, Kuran. I'm the one who should be pissed, dealing with this pain." 

"So you're finally conscious." Kaname leaned back in his chair like the royal he was. "Are you that bothered with my blood flowing through your body? You're scary enough as it is." 

Ichiru stood up and wiped the blood off his face. "You'll know after you've tasted it- the poison your blood carries." 

"It's said that the direct lineage of Kuran vampires have very rich and thick blood. That is why it could be a special antidote to delay the process of becoming a Level E." Ichiru passed the vampire who continued. "Because of the smell of my blood, the dorm is in a frenzy. I suggest leaving through the window, it'll be only a matter of time before what happened is exposed..." 

"Nothing to worry about," Ichiru retorted. "If anything you have yet to answer my questions about Aniki and Yuuki." 

"Hm..." Kaname became solemn. "Why I couldn't answer what Yuuki wanted to know was for her own good. As for my relationship with Zero... I'm afraid only Zero can give you a proper answer." 

Ichiru gritted his teeth. Of course both parties would avoid the question.

...

Ichijo stared down at the person laying in bed before him. 

"Hey..." He called out to the slumbering figure. "It's time to wake up, Shiki." 

Shiki didn't move or even flutter behind his eyelids for a few seconds before his face scrunched up. He reached up a hand and rubbed his eye, turning to the side and curling up further underneath the sheets that covered him. Shiki grumbled, clearly not in the mood to be woken up. "You're being so noisy, Ichijo-san." He told the vampire. "It's still morning." 

Ichijo was alarmed but continued to press on. "Shiki? Sorry, are you alright? Sit up slightly! Shi-" 

He cut his sentence short when Shiki had grabbed his hand, a single wine-red eye glaring up at him. "Shiki, Shiki..." 'Shiki' sat up and revealed dual-colored eyes, one eye wine-red and the other a pastel blue. Ichijo jerked back in surprise but was held still by the hand on his wrist.

"Where is Shiki?" 

'Shiki' chuckled and let go of Ichijo's wrist. "Oh, the Shiki you know is sleeping on the inside. It's sort of weird for me to say this, but my son is rather cute."

"Are you already used to your body?" Ichiou's voice had both vampires looking at the elder vampire. 

"Grandpa..." 

"What? One by one, you all disturb me from my sleep? Oh, it doesn't matter." 'Shiki' leaned his head on his palm with an arrogant smirk. "I suppose I'm quite used to it now." 

Ichiou approached and took 'Shiki's' hand in his, placing a kiss on the back of his hand just like he had Kaname long ago. "I am sure that the day you would be revived is near... The _true_ head of the Kuran family, _Kuran Rido-sama_." 

Rido leaned back against the headboard. "Next... I should meet my 'not cute at all' nephew..."

_ Chapter 33: END _


	36. Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One confrontation leads to a new development- but are things truly fine with such a change?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So update.   
Attempting to make up for the long period of time I accidentally took off for this story. To be honest, I wouldn't abandon this fanfic and the only time you won't get an update for extremely long periods of time, is when this story is marked 'Complete'. Might make this into a series if all the things I have planned for this particular work are to be posted up here. Oh, not much of Zero here but he does make his appearance. Also, more Kaname/Yuuki moments.
> 
> Do enjoy.

There was only one thing Yuuki wanted. 

She wanted to know the truth from the past she's long forgotten but the key to her success isn't willing to part with that secret just yet. _I don't want to be a so-called child who doesn't know anything_, Yuuki thought as she made eye-contact with the vampire in question. Kaname Kuran gave her a sweet smile, the very one he's always given her. He approached her, noticing how quiet she was being. 

"Yuuki?" Kaname tilted his head, smile having faded. "Why are you suddenly so quiet?"

Her heart began to beat, it was so loud she felt it in her ears. _Since that day, my heart has been reacting oddly. I feel lost and helpless just by standing in front of him, like I can't be myself... Even today I... _

"Um, senpai..." 

"Dorm leader." Kain cut in, causing both people to look at him.

"Yes, I know..." Kaname turned back to Yuuki. "Well goodbye Perfect-san, I have to go."

"But the question from before..." 

Kaname leaned in close to whisper in Yuuki's ear. "Wait until school ends, I'll listen to it then. But I'm sure you haven't forgotten my feelings for you." Then, he walked away with the rest of the Night Class. 

Yuuki stared down in a daze. _It's fine like this... This way, I can't run anymore._ When Yuuki looked up, she found herself surrounded by her fellow female classmates. All of them were glowering down at her after what had just happened- after all, she was in extremely close proximity to the pureblood.

"Cross-san... What did Kaname-senpai say to you?" 

"Even though you've known each other for a long time, this is just too much, right everyone?" 

Yuuki bowed repeatedly. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." 

...

"Tonight's the night." Yuuki stared into the distance with determination. "Tonight, I must ask Kaname-senpai the truth about ten years ago..." 

Zero hummed, but was clearly distracted by something. Yuuki looked over to the elder twin who stared into the distance, eyes scanning about as if looking for something. It was odd to see Zero that way and it made Yuuki concerned. Zero rarely ever felt the need to be so vigilant at the academy aside for that one time the Council came and ordered the execution of Ichiru.

"Is something wrong, Zero?" 

Snapping out of his daze, Zero turned to the girl with a reassuring smile. "It's nothing, Hime. Just... I was wondering if the reason you lost your memory was related to Kaname, is all." 

_That didn't seem like wonderings, Zero_... Yuuki thought with a frown. She shook her head and returned the smile. "Even if he betrays me, my feelings for him won't ever change. However, at this critical moment, I still feel scared. I spent so much time just barely making this step yet here I am..." 

"Well, Kaname has always been the one who has held your affections all this time. What is different now?"

"Nothing's different, it's just... Whenever I think of him, my thoughts are only of him. So much that I could lose myself. Although he's a bit scary, he's a very gentle person. From time to time, there would be a lonely smile on his face. I didn't understand why at the time, but I still felt worried." Yuuki then smiled. "But then, he'd give me that warm smile and my worries would vanish away. As of now, I fully understand that no matter what situation Kaname-senpai is in, he'll always put me first. He's that kind of person..." 

Unbeknownst to Yuuki, Zero's expression had changed. A look of melancholy and bitterness that was practically unusual to see. The brunette stood up, readying herself for what is to come. 

"I should get going... I already know that Kaname-senpai is hiding something from me..." 

... 

"Yuuki." 

"Kaname-senpai." 

The two had stared at one another before Aidou had cut in with a call to his leader. The pureblood looked back at the remaining Night Class students who waited for him. A single nod of dismissal had the rest of them walking straight to their dorms, leaving the trio alone to talk. Kaname looked at Yuuki with awaiting eyes and suddenly, Zero felt that he was interrupting an intimate conversation. 

"Well, Yuuki?" 

"I'm sorry to ask you here, Kaname-senpai..." 

Kaname hummed, glancing at Zero once. "That's fine... But, you're a mean child, Yuuki. Although you know my feelings, you brought Zero here as if to verify what I'm to say." 

Yuuki gulped. "I only brought Zero here because I want senpai to stop changing the subject again." 

"Ah, like when I told you that I love you, right?" 

"Yes..." Yuuki avoided Kaname's gaze. "It's just that..."

Kaname stared her down, searching for something before sighing. "I'm being serious... Or could it be that you hate me?" 

That had gotten a reaction from Yuuki, the brunette looking upward as if offended at the thought of hating Kaname. "How could I hate you? That's not possible. Whether it's from the past or even right now, I've always liked you most! I could... I could never hate Kaname-sama..." She looked down, trembling in whatever emotion was causing her inner turmoil. "Even if Kaname-sama was like the vampire who wanted to bite me. But if Kaname-sama is here, I..."

"Yuuki." Zero's voice cut through her monologue, refocusing her onto what she was truly here for. 

"As I grew day by day, the doubt started building up as well... Why was it me? Even if I'm stupid, I understand that no matter how much I grow, I will never match with Kaname-senpai. My vanished past and you, they're connected, aren't they?"

A pregnant silence settled. Yuuki looked at Kaname with expectant eyes, wondering if the pureblood would finally regale her with the truth instead of those omissions in nearly every sentence involving her past. Kaname finally smiled, plummeting Yuuki's hope. She approached the pureblood, gripping the front of his uniform.

"Why... Why won't you tell me the truth?" Her expression became desperate. "Tell me! I can't go on like this- I don't want to run away anymore. I want to know everything so I could become strong so please... I beg of you..." 

"Silly girl." The sentence had Yuuki blinking up at Kaname. "Is it so bad to be scared like normal? To live happily in a dream?" Kaname caressed the side of her face. "Is there a problem with that? Even if what's being concealed is a bloody truth... If that's the case, would you still want to know?"

"I do." 

"You are the only one who could give me warmth. I've always been afraid that if you knew the truth, you would come to hate me." 

Yuuki let one of her hands gently grasp Kaname's wrist. "I would never hate you..." 

"Then prove it to me." He pulled her close. "Would you become my lover?" 

"Eh...?" 

_Become his lover?_ _Surely, Kaname-senpai must be joking... _Staring straight into his eyes, Yuuki searched for any sign of deceit but found none. Right then, she began to struggle in a vain attempt to remove herself from Kaname's embrace but the pureblood remained still. 

"Let go, Kaname-senpai! I don't want my past put off by you any longer!" 

Kaname held on tight. "If you show me proof, I'll definitely tell you. So if you really want to know, you should listen to me..." 

When Yuuki ceased in her struggling, her silence a clear reply to Kaname's proposal, the pureblood smiled. "Good girl..." 

_ Chapter 34: END  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And scene.   
More Zero in the next update and more progression into the story. Zero is, in definitely, going to play a much bigger role in the future but until the original plot follows through, there won't be much of it. I know I've said divergence, but not much for a majority of these chapters. Right now, my prepared chapters are at 50- the 49th chapter being some sort of interlude featuring Zero. Speaking of which, Zero's character fluctuates a bit for the next chapters, so do be aware of that. Ah but I digress as always. Any questions can be asked in the comments and will be answered in the end notes of the next chapter. 
> 
> Until next update...


	37. Pureblood's Lover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With her heart in his hands, she experiences what it's like to be a pureblood's lover.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter of the year, 2019.
> 
> Thank you all for sticking with me this far. While I usually write and receive attention from family and friends, this is the most attention anything that I've done has received. About 6,000 people clicking on my story because it seemed interesting to them then sticking around for the plot. Let's raise those hits higher and get to the end of this story- together.
> 
> Do enjoy and Happy New Years Eve!

When Kaname asked Yuuki to become his lover, Zero didn't bother staying. 

Although he knew what Kaname's move would be, how dear he held the brunette girl to his heart, that Zero wasn't even a factor in this discussion- his heart traitorously clenched as if his world was just torn down with just one question. Memories of those words being whispered so lovingly, a lover's caress against his skin that had him leaning into the invisible palm of the person in front of him. Reality and memory overlapped and even now, he was lost in the hallucination. Zero found himself on a rooftop, sitting on a ledge and dangerously close to falling with one move forward. Morbidly, he wondered about falling to his death to rid himself of these images but decided against it.

_My darling brother would be all alone and sad_, Zero thought, gazing down into the trees. _That wouldn't be good at all, now would it? _

_Ichiru... _Everything Zero has done thus far was for Ichiru's sake. Despite him condemning the younger to a fate worse than his original, it guaranteed Ichiru a lifetime of his deserved happiness for it all. Ichiru deserved it, more than Zero had. How couldn't he risk everything? 

He who had lived this life so... _Undeservingly_. 

Zero ignored the guilt clawing at his throat and refocused on the trees below. His breath hitched once he made eye contact with a figure below. They stood there, looking back up at him like a lover would- eyes warm and loving. It made him sick, igniting an emotion that was becoming a common occurrence.

The figure mouthed something that nearly stopped Zero's heart, ending it with an 'I love you'. Those words weren't something he had wanted to hear from the figure. Those words were reserved for that person who was no longer of this world, yet this stranger dared to repeat it to him? Zero turned away to keep his emotions in check. 

_Calm down._ He told himself. _I don't need to work myself over this..._

When he looked back, the figure was gone but the lingering feeling of being watched _burned_. 

... 

Ba thump

_When we grow up, then we can do that... _

Ba-thump

... _It'll be good if you become... _

**Ba-thump**

"Ah!" 

Yuuki bolted upward in a panic, head pounding as she tightly gripped her hair. She babbled out incoherent pleas, barely hearing Yori's concerning questions. Her head was hurting so badly that she could only squeeze her eyes shut, babbling even more. 

"My head hurts...!" 

... 

"I'm sorry about before..." 

Yuuki and Yori walked side by side in the cafeteria. Having just eaten breakfast, the two went to hand their trays. Yuuki's still filled with food and Yori's empty with just the plates, fork and knife. 

"It must be because I didn't get enough sleep." Yuuki finished. 

"Sleeping is very important," Yori told her. "It seems that you will sleep during class again."

When Yuuki handed in her tray, Yori frowned. 

"But, you haven't eating anything..." 

"No, I don't feel like eating at all."

The two walked down the stairs to exit the building.

"The more I think of it, the more I'm worried." Yori said, causing Yuuki to look at her in bewilderment.

"... What are you worried about?"

Once outside, the found Ichiru waiting there with a solemn expression on his face. Yori nodded her head in greeting at the other perfect. 

"Ah, Ichiru-san. Good morning." 

Ichiru returned the nod with a polite yet forced smile. "Good morning, Sayori-san." 

Yuuki noticed this and frowned. "Is there something wrong, Ichiru?" 

"Yes, actually." Ichiru's solemn expression returned. "Ever since Aniki came back from wherever you two were last night, he's been acting strange. Even now, he won't get out of bed without telling me why."

"That is strange..." 

Both people looked at Yuuki, "Well...?" 

Yuuki sighed. "I don't even know why myself... He just left early without me." 

"Look over there!" A student gasped, catching the attention of the trio. The sentence was followed by a series of gasps and no way's from the fellow female students who stared in the same direction. 

In front of Yuuki, Ichiru and Yori stood members of the Night Class. Akatsuki Kain looked up at Yuuki and began to speak. 

"This is an order sent by President Kuran..." He bowed, one hand over his heart as the other Night Class students followed in pursuit. "Please let us follow and protect you, Yuuki-sama."

"Huh?" Yuuki froze in shock, _Sama?!_ "Huh?!" 

Yori looked at Yuuki accusingly. "What did you do to make them do this, Yuuki?" 

"I don't know!" Yuuki cried, clearly distressed.

Despite being confused as well on the presence of the Night Class, Ichiru huffed and began to move. "Just ignore them and let's get going."

The trio began to walk, multiple footsteps followed behind and made Yuuki even more distressed. She felt like crying at the thought of it all, _Huu... They're following me!_ Students turned and stopped to watch the rare sight of Night Class students in the day, rarely ever catching a glance of any of them during the class change. Yuuki stopped and turned around, confronting the vampires with tears in her eyes. 

"Sorry that I don't know what Kaname-senpai has said but please think about the situation." 

Aidou clicked his tongue. "Shut up, Cross Yuuki. Because the Pureblood King, Kaname-sama, has chosen you to be his special one, we must treat you specially too. A plain human little girl like you would never understand. This is the pride that we nobles have."

... 

Yuuki sighed heavily as the teacher droned on about the lesson. 

She couldn't understand why Kaname-senpai was going as far as to assign her guards. Yuuki could take care of herself just fine, she had Ichiru by her side and her protection was guaranteed if she had Zero nearby as well. Even so, she didn't need the Night Class students watching her every move. From beside her, Ichiru huffed. 

"Just give up." He told her, tired of her sighs. "Seems like you've finally gotten close to Kuran to gain such protection." 

That didn't make Yuuki feel any better. 

... 

When class ended, Aidou had approached the brunette perfect. 

"Dorm Leader is calling for you. Come for a minute and you can bring along Ichiru as well." 

Yuuki stood up, stuffing all her books into her back. "Right now?" 

"Hurry up." 

The trio walked down the hall with everybody staring at the handsome vampire leading them. Of course, Yuuki was now getting used to the attention and took it all in stride. Behind her, Ichiru walked with his hands in his pockets.

"Yuuki, you don't have any memories of your past, right?" 

"That's right, yes. Why?" 

"I did a little investigation of my own." 

Yuuki leaped back in surprise. "Eh?! Aidou-senpai is actually such a nice person! I didn't ask you to do this at all." 

Aidou scowled. "I didn't do it for _you!_ It's about Kaname-sama's family. You already know that Kaname-sama's parents had died, right? Because a lot had happened, I did a little investigation into their deaths. As I delved deeper, we found something that could be clues... But as soon as we put our hands on it, it burned and everything is hidden just like your memories."

By this point, they had stopped at their destination and Aidou turned to fully face Yuuki. "The reason that Kaname-sama is treating a plain girl like you as a lover, telling us to protect you like this... Kaname-sama probably knows clearly what is going to happen to you. Now would you excuse me..." 

Aidou had led them to a secluded place where Kaname sat on the plush cushions, back leaning against the trunk of the tree and reading the book on his lap. He looked over his shoulder and gave the girl a gentle smile once she was in his sights. 

"Yuuki..." He held out his hand. "Finally, I can see you. Come here." 

Kaname received a delightful response of Yuuki's embarrassed face as she realized she was staring at him. "You don't have to worry about anything now, come." 

Yuuki approached, avoiding eye contact with the pureblood. She stood, back uncomfortably straight and hands placed in front of her. There was an awkward silence as Kaname spoke up once more. 

"Why are you still standing over there? Are you still not aware of it?"

"Um... Senpai..." Yuuki plopped herself on the cushion next to Kaname. "You don't have to force yourself to do this during the day..." 

"It's fine."

Yuuki's heart was pounding, face burning and she was pretty sure her cheeks were colored red. Being so close to Kaname after he had declared her his lover sent her emotions on overdrive. It seemed like Kaname took her silence for something else as he looked down sadly. 

"Ah, I see. You are too aware of my existence. I'm not going to ask you anything excessively. I just want to have lunch with you since it's been awhile that we've had a meal together." 

_Now's the time_, Yuuki thought as she turned to Kaname with a look of nervousness. "Kaname-senpai..." 

Kaname tilted his head. "What? You don't like the school lunch box?"

"You... You promised me, didn't you? You'll tell me about my past, right?" 

Upon seeing the look on Yuuki's face, Kaname sighed. The girl just wasn't ready as of this moment. "Now isn't good. With that frightened look from you, I won't tell." 

That just set Yuuki off. Time and time again, Kaname avoided the topic of her past- a past she desperately wanted to know about. Yet the only source of it all just wouldn't budge. "I knew that you'd get away with it like this. Fine, I'll just have to imagine my past as I like." 

Kaname looked at Ichiru who stood in thought. "Ichiru, you look pretty bored... I'm sure you can hear the students from the Day Class and they probably know how to get to this place. Why don't you go stop them before it gets noisy?"

Ichiru clicked his teeth in annoyance and left. "No need to sugar coat. I know when I'm not wanted Kuran." 

He could hear the smugness in Kaname's voice as he replied, "Thank you for your help." 

Once Ichiru was gone, Yuuki began to talk. "I noticed a while ago that Kaname-senpai's personality has grown evil lately." 

Kaname chuckled. "My character has always been evil, it's just that you hadn't noticed. Now, I'm enjoying myself, seeing your reactions. From yesterday until now, were you thinking about me?" 

Yuuki turned to the side, "I'm not going to answer such a bad question." 

"So you were thinking about something that you can't tell people about..." 

The girl jumped, Kaname's sentence hitting the nail right on its head. He smiled sweetly at her. "I'm so happy that you are so conscious about me." 

Yuuki stared. _Why... Why are you still doing that?_ She felt a sharp pain, clutching her head in her hands. She barely heard Kaname's concerned questions. _So willing to give me consideration... What is it that you have to hide so badly from me?_

"It hurts... Since this morning..." Yuuki barely got out. _I want to believe in you, I do but I don't understand... I don't know why you are willing to protect me..._

Her body began to fall forward and into Kaname's embrace, mumbling out the question that engraved itself into her conscious. 

"Is it really okay for me to love you...?" 

Kaname held Yuuki close, almost delicately as if she were a fragile doll and ready to break. "It's okay, Yuuki." He said to the unconscious girl. "I'll protect you."

... 

Ichiru entered his dorm room.

After visiting Yuuki and making sure she was still breathing, he had returned to his and Zero's shared room. While he was concerned about Yuuki, his mind was constantly trailing back to his brother. Zero had moved from his spot on the bed, curled up on the floor and in a corner away from the windows. In fact, the corner he was in was a blind spot if one didn't look for it. Zero sat with the sheets wrapped around him, head poking out. 

"Aniki..." Ichiru approached him cautiously, having seen previous episodes. "Are you alright now?" 

Zero looked up, eyes so open and expressive that he looked like the child he had never been. "Ichiru...?" 

"Yes?" He smiled softly. Rarely had Zero let his guard down so. 

"Would... Would you search for me if I disappeared?" 

"Of course I would, you're my precious Aniki. What brought this up?" 

Zero hummed. "Just promise me."

Ichiru frowned, this was new. "I promise I will find you if you disappeared. Now will you tell me what's wrong?" 

He watched as his brother clutched the sheets tighter and curled up even further into the corner. "Someone wants to cage me and never let me go, would you let him?" 

Ichiru processed his brother's words. No riddles, no tricks- it was straightforward. Someone wants to snatch his brother away but he knew that was all he would get from Zero. He took a seat next to his brother, opening up the sheets and curling right next to him. 

"I won't let him, Aniki." 

Zero smiled, ignoring the urge to scratch at the crawling feeling underneath his skin. 

_ Chapter 35: END _


	38. Nowhere To Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things from the past always catch up, no matter how far you run.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year!   
The first update of the year. Things are getting interesting... What a way to start the year, huh? The plot twist you all have been patiently waiting for is fast approaching. Hopefully I don't disappoint, especially since I'm going at the pace of the manga. 
> 
> Do enjoy.

Rima laid on the couch, eyes wanting to close after a long day. 

"I'm so tired... Letting me do a weird job like this..." She complained softly. She hadn't expected to go out during the day and protect a human on the orders of a pureblood. A maid approached Rima with a smile. 

"Welcome back, Toya-sama. There are actually guests waiting for you." 

"Hm... Right now, I'm-" 

"Rima." Her eyes snapped open as she spotted a familiar face. 

There stood Shiki on the stairs, Ichijo standing in front of him with such a solemn face. Shiki leaned his head on his palm, his elbow resting on the railing. 

"I'm back." He told her as she sat up. 

"Shiki..." Rima had been wondering when he would come back. "What have you been doing?" 

"I had to do something but more importantly..." Shiki leaned forward, hand pressing on the back of the couch as he leered down at Rima. "I'm really hungry right now..." 

Rim stared, something had happened. Shiki's eyes were never dual... "Hey Shiki, those eyes... What happened?" 

When Shiki smiled eerily, she knew something was wrong. "Something happened..." 

Before the scene could escalate, Ichijo grabbed Shiki by the arm. He smiled brightly as Shiki straightened up and turned to him. "Stop playing around, Shiki. Don't you have something important to do?"

... 

"The sky... It looks like it's going to snow." Kain said, looking up at the grey skies. Amber eyes turned to Aidou. "I'm surprised you acted nicely and played Dorm Leader's 'lover' game. Ruka stayed and refused to come out of her room because of that." 

"Akatsuki." Aidou looked down in thought. "It's not a game. You too should've known about Kaname-sama's deep attachment." 

Kain looked thoroughly chastised. "I'm sorry but to me, it's just a little game. How should I say it? He seems to be cautiously protecting something important from breaking and he is making us protect it also."

"What is it that he's trying to protect her from?" Aidou asked aloud. "Akatsuki, what do you think Kaname-sama is waiting for?"

...

Kaname waited on the rooftop with Seiren by his side. Footsteps echoed as the one he waited for approached. The voice he loathed to hear came from behind him. 

"It terrifies me to call you nephew," Rido's words in Shiki's voice mocked. "The last time we met was ten years ago, right? It hurt so badly, Kaname!" 

... 

Blood coated the room. 

Yuuki trembled at the scene, clutching her clothes tighter than before. Everything... Everything was so, so scary. Her sanity was slowly draining and even though she knew it was an illusion, she couldn't help but feel that some part of it was real. She panted softly, wanting an escape but finding none. A knock on the door had her flinching, trembling coming to a temporary stop. 

The door creaked open and the soft pitter-patter of feet against the floor had taken her by surprise. She looked up at saw one of the twins that she couldn't identify at the moment, sheets curled around him and dragging on the floor behind him.

"Hime?" Zero's soothing voice echoed. "Are you alright? I heard your head was hurting. I do hope it doesn't hurt anymore..." 

Yuuki stared like a deer in headlights as Zero approached. 

"I thought I might keep you company since I wasn't feeling well like you, Ichiru is on patrol and- Ah!" 

Zero fell backward as Yuuki lunged at him, the girl falling on top of him as the sheets scattered underneath him. Hands wrapped around his neck and squeezed tightly. She panted, eyes wide and crazed as she attempted to rid of the perceived threat. Zero let it happen and closed his eyes, causing Yuuki to snap out of her daze. 

"Ah... Zero...?" 

The elder Kiryuu smiled up at her. Yuuki didn't return the smile and seemed pained. 

"Why... Why aren't you fighting back?" 

"Because I knew you weren't in the right state of mind, Hime. It seems like you are also suffering from hallucinations." 

Yuuki froze. _Hallucinations? Zero was having them too?_ She removed herself from off of him, allowing the boy to sit up and fix the sheets around him. Zero had looked almost like a bride with the sheets around his shoulders and head, cascading like a veil. The fact that he wore only a nightshirt didn't deter the fact like he looked ready for a wedding. 

"Sometimes, I can see things like no one else can." He began, scooting in front of Yuuki to grab both hands in his. "Like how I can see the blood all over the walls and the bed. It is everywhere and even on us, it coats itself." 

"You... You can see it?" 

"Yes..." Zero smiled, gripping her hands tighter. Yuuki took notice of Zero's own trembling. "And it is so, so scary..." 

... 

"That day, the shapeless body disintegrated by you took ten years to recover slowly. I suppose I should thank the strong vitality of purebloods... It seems like a lot had happened during the last ten years." Rido tapped his forehead. "My fiancée Shizuka disappeared as well. To be honest, I'm relieved since it's harder for me to make her obedient as this mom's... I always feel that something like that will never happen." 

Kaname looked over his shoulder. "Very good, you haven't changed one bit... I'm so relieved, uncle, that you are still like the time I killed you. Now I don't have to hesitate about killing you." 

The ground broke, the pieces of debris rising in the shape of a crocodile's maw as it headed straight for Rido. Before it could reach, Ichijo forced himself in front of Rido. The makeshift jaw came to a stop, not wanting to cause harm to the wrong target. 

"Kaname! I'm sorry but I won't let you hurt Shiki! I won't let him be a victim of this dispute." 

Kaname stared blankly at Ichijo. "Can I guess that you are on the council's side?" 

"Yes, you can think of it like that..." 

Rido moved from behind Ichijo. "Don't worry. Kaname is not serious since it's meaningless to just destroy this body." 

"I don't think that way about Kaname." 

"It doesn't matter. In any case, to completely come back to life and as long as I get all of the things... That child, has she awoken from that daze yet?" Rido smiled mockingly. "Oh but don't worry, I don't want her any longer... Your stay here has only lead me to my one and true treasure." 

Kaname narrowed his eyes in suspicion but continued on with his plan and jumped off the ledge with the intention of going to Yuuki. 

... 

Kaname had entered through the window of Yuuki's room. 

Imagine his surprise when he found Yuuki curled up into Zero's side, both trembling and clinging onto one another as if they were sharing the same symptoms. They looked up and visibly relaxed when they saw it was just Kaname. Yuuki moved from Zero's side and stood up on shaky legs, heading into Kaname's embrace before fainting in his arms.

Kaname and Zero made eye contact. 

"You must be careful, my King. Fate will not be kind to you from this point forward." Zero smiled, albeit forced. 

The pureblood narrowed his eyes as he carried Yuuki bridal style. "Before I go, there is something I must ask... Do you know of Rido's 'one and true treasure'?"

That must've been the wrong thing to ask, Kaname noted as Zero sucked in a breath and began to tremble even harder than before. His face, always so guarded and holding the knowledge of the world, had shown pure and unadulterated fear at the question. Zero scrambled backward into Yuuki's mattress and began to babble. 

"NO! Don't know. Don't wanna know, no, no, no. Not his precious, not his treasure. He wants what he can't have. What he can never win." Zero was hysterical, clutching at his head. "No more, no more! Terrible, terrible man has come to say _I do_ and end the world."

Kaname felt his eyes widen, never had he seen the elder twin lose his composure. He felt his heart clench at the sight of tears, the fear practically radiating off of Zero. _If only I didn't have Yuuki in my arms... _Kaname shook his head. _What nonsense am I spouting? I shouldn't be wanting to comfort another pawn in this game... _

The door slammed open, making Kaname completely forget his strange thoughts and for Zero to stop his babbling. There stood Ichiru, eyes landing on his brother who held his arms out like a toddler wanting to be held. Ichiru rushed to his brother's side and embraced the trembling twin, Zero clinging so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Ichiru turned to Kaname with a glare. 

"What have you done to Aniki?! And what are you going to do to Yuuki?"

"I have done nothing to Zero and don't worry about Yuuki. She will be fine..." 

Kaname disappeared with a burst of wind, leaving Ichiru to comfort his trembling and sobbing brother. 

"Don't let him take me away, Ichiru!" Zero sobs only served to pain Ichiru, who could do nothing but comfort.

...

_Snow flakes... They're red..._

Yuuki held her hand out in a daze, watching as the snow fell on her palms and melted against the warmth. Dazedly, she began to talk to Kaname as she laid on his lap. 

"The world is dyed with the color of blood. It won't be able to go back to the way it was before... I only wanted to try thinking about the past... Did you know that Zero could see it too?" She felt the tears falling.

"Yuuki..." Kaname gazed down at her. "It's okay now. Try to awaken before you are destroyed." 

Yuuki closed her eyes and didn't even process it when Kaname leaned down and sank his fangs into her flesh. 

_ Chapter 36: END _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, well, well.   
Yuuki is about to regain her memories while I'm making poor Zero suffer so. Sadly, no concrete Kaname/Zero yet but the future holds many surprises. Do tell me what you all think of this chapter. This part of the story comes to an end at chapter 48, a special interlude at chapter 49, and the beginning of a new part at chapter 50. The interlude/chapter 49 may take awhile, so if I do not update around that number, please don't panic and think I abandoned this story. But I digress. Any questions can be asked in the comments and will be answered in the end notes of the next chapter. Remember, even if English isn't your first language, I read them all! 
> 
> Until next update...


	39. Gentle Princess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mystery of her past is unraveling but who knew it would bring such dramatic change?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I see that a lot you have liked the last chapter.   
Well, you might like this one just a tiny bit more. Not much of Zero like last chapter but a lot of Yuuki and Kaname. I know everyone wants more of their favorite character but sacrifices must be made. The next two chapters won't include much of Zero because plot. Ah but the surprise in the beginning reveals the plot twist... At least a bit of the plot twist, that is.
> 
> Do enjoy.

Zero, now calmer than before, sat on the bed and stared. 

He hadn't liked that. _Treasure_. That's what that terrible man had called him when he decided that Zero was for the taking- that if he had wanted Zero, he would get him; his beloved, submissive _treasure_. It didn't matter what he wanted. _Even now..._ Zero's eyes turned to the side and into the darkness where he knew that man stood._ You still want what you can't have._

The man stepped out of the shadows, moonlight illuminating the twisted features of Shiki Senri. While he was used to the wine-red color, it was the pastel blue that had Zero flinching and gripping the sheets around him tighter. He knew who he was in the presence of- the Red King and Kin Slayer, Rido Kuran.

"So this is where you've been hiding," Rido cooed, voice betraying his perceived intentions. "My darling treasure... I have been confused all this time, thinking I desired Juri and her daughter. But it was you, the one who occupied all my thoughts." 

His fingers grazed Zero's soft skin, eyes brightening with such twisted love and obsession. "You look completely different from my memories but I know it's you. However, my memories have yet to return fully. When I recall your name, that is when I shall collect you..." 

Before Zero knew it, Rido was gone and all he could do was sob miserably at this life fate has given him. 

... 

Yuuki didn't know when she had closed her eyes.

_It's cold... Yet it's somehow warm... _Her eyes had opened slowly but then came the pain biting into her neck and the hand that tilted her head back. Yuuki remembered falling into Kaname's embrace, the man bringing her to the rooftop as snow fell upon them. She felt the hot liquid sliding down her freezing skin and the sharp canines digging into her flesh, vaguely recognizing the soft puffs of breath tickling her skin. _What...?_ She began to struggle, realizing that it was Kaname biting her neck.

Kaname, one of the vampires with the rare ability of turning humans, was biting her. In a blind panic, Yuuki attempted to thrash about in Kaname's arms but was held tight. She tightly gripped the head of hair, tugging fruitlessly in a vain attempt to push him off.

"Kaname... Senpai-" Yuuki was cut off by Kaname's hand covering her mouth. "Mm!" 

_My neck is overflowing with..._ She felt like something was breaking, the delicate casing that hid her coveted past was cracking into tiny pieces. Like fragile glass, it all shattered and time slowed down. Her eyes were wide, unseeing of the world before her. _What... Is happening...?_ She could barely process her barest thoughts when it all went dark once again.

Kaname watched as a stray tear slipped down her face. A blurry image overlapped Yuuki's figure, the pureblood never taking much notice of it as he wiped away a stray tear. 

"Somehow or the other, you're the only one..." He whispered, raising his hand up to his mouth. Kaname bit into the flesh of his wrist and sucked in his blood, holding it into his mouth. Lifting Yuuki up, he leaned down and pressed his lips to Yuuki's. Prying open the girl's lips, he let the blow flow and rubbed her throat to make her swallow it. 

By the time she would awaken to struggle again, his blood would be digested. For a few moments, she did wake up to struggle but quickly ceased in her actions. Kaname knew it had worked when he pulled back and she stared with wide eyes. 

Kaname wiped away the stray blood and smiled softly at her. "Have you awakened, Yuuki?" 

Yuuki reached up, the memories of her small hand caressing a younger Kaname's cheek. She repeated her past self's actions, eyes no longer afraid or panicked. 

"Do you know who I am?"

Tears began to form as she placed her other hand on his face, leaning up as if going to kiss him. "You are my..." 

A shadow formed over the two. Yuuki's eyes widened as she spotted Ichiru with his weapon drawn and pointed at in their general direction. Ichiru's face was blank, jaw tight and she could see the further damage this discovery has caused. 

"I recognized the smell of Yuuki's blood yet no matter how hard I wished it not to be true, I had to face it and smell the roses." Ichiru didn't even bother to glare, opting for a cold stare and dull, emotionless eyes. "That there were two vampires in the same place- you've done what I dreaded the most to Yuuki..."

"Ah..." Yuuki stumbled out of Kaname's embrace and stood in between the blade and the vampire. "Ichiru, Kaname is... He is my brother..." 

The complete and utter heartbreak in Ichiru's eyes was the last straw as the tears began to fall for the nth time for the night. "I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry..." 

**All of my memories that were hidden... That thick mist has been cleared...**

... 

**My true name is _Kuran Yuuki_ and I had lived with my mother, Kuran Juri, and my father, Kuran Haruka. **

A young Yuuki, who read her book with her parents by her side, lifted her head up with a bright smile as she felt a familiar presence approach the doors. She immediately abandoned the book in favor of running towards the slowly opening door. 

"Onii-sama has come home!" She squealed, running into the embrace of her older brother. "Welcome home, Kaname-onii-sama!"

Kaname looked down at her warmly. "I'm back... Yuuki's body is really warm." 

"Onii-sama's body is really cold." She chirped right back. 

"Yeah, because it's snowing outside." 

Yuuki tilted her head. "Snow?"

"Snow is white and beautiful yet so, so cold. But Yuuki is like the sun because you're warm. It's not cold anymore."

**The real Yuuki, which is so much like sunshine, is far from the 'outside' world. I hadn't seen it once in person. There had been no windows in this basement and it was my whole world. **

Juri approached the smiling pair of siblings with a smile of her own. "Kaname, did you enjoy yourself fully with Takuma-kun?" 

Kaname nodded a bit awkwardly. "Er, yeah... Thank you very much for letting me go play." 

"Really? I'm so glad..." Juri frowned with a hand over her mouth. "But it's strange isn't it... My strategy was for Takuma-kun to have a great influence on you, that you would come home changed somewhat. They were just plans though." 

Juri stared at Kaname with inquisitive eyes. She tilted her head and childishly asked. "He hasn't changed, right?"

A finger poked Kaname's forehead. "Again, you were all weirdly stiff now you've calmed down. Did grandfather say something to upset you? You really do take after your grandfather." 

Kaname pouted. "Grandfather did upset me."

From below, Yuuki attempted to defend her brother. "Okaa-sama, don't tease onii-sama!"

Juri smiled, hugging both Kaname and Yuuki both. "I'm not teasing at all, Yuuki. It's cute, isn't it?"

... 

"In ten years, I've only seen a rose bloom once, Yuuki. But I couldn't pluck it and preserve it, I couldn't bring it home with me." Kaname turned to the child. "The next time it blooms, I'll solidify it with resin..." 

Yuuki tilted her head innocently. "Is that pretty, Onii-sama?" 

Kaname huffed softly, going over to hug the girl. "Sorry, Yuuki is just fine. Since you want to go and see outside, I'll definitely not tell you... Father, Yuuki always wants to go above ground, won't you let her?" 

Haruka lifted his head up from his book. "We have to hide Yuuki's existence from the other vampires, so for that sake, no. Lately, the Senate wants to use the purebloods for the value of our existence and the power of our blood. Of course, we can oppose them but Yuuki is still young... The likes of them wouldn't want anything to do with her."

He sighed softly. "A parent's selfish way of doing but I'm going to protect Yuuki." 

Yuuki looked up at the solemn Kaname. "Yuuki is just fine, okay? So don't make such a scary face, Onii-sama."

Kaname just pulled her closer, leaning his head on hers. "I'll always be with you." 

"Yeah... If Kaname-onii-sama is with me, no matter what happens, I'll be okay. Even in scary dreams..." Her smile faded. "Lately, I've had these scary dreams... Crimson and blue, different colored eyes that were here, looking at me for a long, long time..." 

**And then, the warm days suddenly came to an end after being informed about the hidden princess.**

"Well then... It'll be good if you'll become my sacrifice."

"You're under the Senate's surveillance and yet you've come out, Onii-sama..." Haruka glared at Rido Kuran, who dared to stand in front of him with a backing of lower ranked vampires. Behind Haruka stood his sister and wife, Juri. 

"You guys are hiding something precious so I've come to take the princess." Rido said with a cruel smile.

Juri's expression twisted with rage. "You dare again?!" 

From below, Yuuki stiffened at the feeling of her mother's intense rage. She clung tighter to Kaname's shirt, eyes screwed shut as she tried to distract herself in her brother's embrace. "Okaa-sama is really angry... Otou-sama as well..." 

"It's okay," Kaname told her. "Because I'm here." 

"But I can smell lots of blood, besides something scary is coming..." Yuuki shivered violently as a familiar scent reached her. "The smell of Otou-sama's blood..." 

"I'm sorry for giving you scary thoughts," Kaname said, tightening his hold. "When I'm happy, I may get a little intoxicated but... I've already decided. I'm definitely going to make sure so that when Yuuki is scared, I'll always be wherever you are."

"Kaname, Yuuki." Juri entered the room. 

Both children approached their mother, Yuuki tugging at her mother's dress. "Okaa-sama, where's Otou-sama?!" 

Juri ignored Yuuki's question and turned to Kaname. "Take care of Yuuki." 

"Excuse me. About Rido, if I won't be able to finish him off, it couldn't be helped..." 

"Kaname." Juri leaned forward and placed a tender kiss on Kaname's cheek. She pulled back and caressed the side of his face. "Thank you. Please take care of Yuuki from now on, okay?" 

Juri pulled Yuuki into a room, leaving Kaname outside as she closed its doors behind her. Yuuki's pleas for her brother went ignored as her mother began to talk. 

"Yuuki, I'm going to put the part of you that has anything to do with vampires to sleep. You'll be just a normal 'human'." She knelt down and embraced her child for the last time in her long lived life. 

"Okaa-sama, Onii-sama is- Something scary is coming from outside!" 

"I'll have to put an end to it with this technique. To make up for the fact that I can't be with you any longer..." Blood began to trickle down Juri's face and down onto Yuuki's. "You've made me extremely happy. You can do whatever you decide to do. I don't resent that but I would've loved to see how it all goes..." 

"Okaa... Sama?" 

"The next time you wake up, you won't remember anything."

The last thing Yuuki remembered was her mother's blood splattering on her face and the bloodied remains falling to floor with a loud, disgusting plop. 

... 

"I'm sorry, Ichiru..."

Yuuki fainted, falling backward into Kaname's arms. Ichiru only stared, his mind repeating the same words over and over. 

"Siblings..." Dull eyes lifted up to the pureblood. "So? What do you have to say about this?" 

Kaname sighed. "I would've been happier if I was born her real older brother."

_ Chapter 37: END _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there's that.  
Ichiru finds out that Yuuki is a pureblood and Kaname's 'sister' though his reaction is concerning and indifferent. Though, I suppose you are wondering about the scene with Zero and Rido. When one of my commenters mentioned about having a character that makes Kaname jealous, this idea came about. However, their relationship will be much more complicated and the reason - not the full reason, have to keep some things secret - why is revealed in Chapter 40 because I wrote it that way. But I am digressing. Any questions can be asked in the comments and will be answered in the end notes of the next chapter. 
> 
> Until next update...


	40. Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth has been revealed yet our story has only begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello.   
I know, this update has taken so long to come but I just so happened to be very busy and stressed out lately. No worries, I will make it up to you lovely readers. 
> 
> Do enjoy.

"Something tells me that you've had your suspicions."

Ichiru hummed, lowering his blade. "Aniki has long told me not to get attached. It was me who foolishly ignored my brother's warnings and this is the price I paid. What I don't understand is how you are her brother yet say you're not." 

"There is no question that Yuuki is the late Kurans daughter," Kaname began, standing up with Yuuki in his arms. "Since you are a second-level vampire, you should be able to tell that too. But at the same time, you are on the side of hunters who try to hunt us down." 

Both purebloods disappeared into the night, leaving Ichiru to his thoughts. Ichiru lifted his head up to the sky and watched the snowflakes fall, nails digging deep into his skin. Ichiru ignored the blood that fell from his self-inflicted wounds on his hand, realizing that life would never be the same.

"So what happens now...?" 

... 

Kain and Aidou watched as Kaname approached with an unconscious Yuuki in his arms. 

"Was Cross Yuuki born as a pureblood?" Kain asked, breaking the silence.

Aidou stared at Yuuki. "She's... Your sister?"

Kain looked at Aidou. "Hanabusa, the Kuran family doesn't have a daughter." 

"Yuuki was the adored daughter whom Haruka and Juri had hidden," Kaname answered, walking past the two vampires. "Moreover, she was born to become my wife... That is if she still wishes to do so." 

Dropping such a sudden bombshell had struck the two vampires silent. The silence had Kaname looking over his shoulder at the pair with a raised eyebrow. "Why are you so surprised? Is it not rare for purebloods to intermarry?"

"Is the person who made the entire academy a dangerous environment, aiming for your sister?" Kaname's silence was telling. "Even though we don't know who the enemy is, we will continue to be on 'guard' like this."

The pureblood huffed. "You're not going to ask the name of the enemy?"

"The reason for us to follow Kaname-sama is not because you are a pureblood." 

Kaname chuckled. "It looks like I've been spoiled by you two. Luckily for us, the enemy is no longer after Yuuki..."

... 

From below, Rido looked up at the solemn twin. By his side stood Ichijo, the vampire looking very stiff, a great contrast to his once cheery silence. Rido knew the twin was looking down back at him with such an emotionless gaze, causing him to smirk. 

"Kiryuu Ichiru, my treasure's twin..." Rido wiped away the droplet of blood from his face. "Ichijo, do you know about the taboo for a hunter's children to be twins?"

"Hunters?" Ichijo tilted his head. "I know the origins of it."

Rido chuckled. "I wonder how strong their bond would be if the supposed weaker twin were to be snatched away..." 

Upon seeing that Ichijo didn't share his sentiment, he sighed dramatically. "Your face tells me that you are dissatisfied. Is it because I want to make her my prey or is it because you betrayed Kaname? Or maybe it's because I'm using Senri's body as hostage?" 

To emphasize his point, he dug his fingers into his neck. Ichijo snatched the hand away with a pained expression. 

"Please stop!" 

Rido laughed, shaking off Ichijo's hold as another presence made themselves known. "Hey! Don't just sit there, come Rima." 

"You..." Rima narrowed her eyes. "You aren't Shiki, right? So who are you? I won't let you get away so easily!" 

... 

_My body feels... Hot. So thirsty..._

Fingers clutched at her throat, patting and stroking softly. Yuuki's throat burned with a biting thirst and no matter what she did, it became worse and worse. She gasped for air as her thoughts focused on what could possibly quench this newfound thirst of hers. A hand running through her hair had her snapping her eyes open. Looking up, she saw Kaname gazing down at her. 

"Yuuki... You don't have to hold back." He said, leaning forward. 

The harder Yuuki had stared at his neck, she was startled to find the pulsating light of the veins running up Kaname's neck. Yuuki bolted upward, vaguely taking notice of her much longer hair cascading down her back. She ended up back in Kaname's embrace, gripping his shirt tightly. 

"Kaname-senpai... I..." 

"It's okay," Kaname told her soothingly. "I know what you want to do." 

Yuuki pushed him down onto the bed, her mouth finding its way onto his neck. She licked at the flesh presented, one thought running through her mind. 

_ **I want it... ** _

"Sorry, I've brought you back to this bloody curse..." 

Her mouth opened wide, fangs exposed for just the slightest of seconds as she sunk them in. 

** _I only want this man's blood._ **

The slurping sounds of blood echoed in the silent room, Kaname gently patting Yuuki's head as she took her fill from him. He felt warm tears slip from her eyes and onto his skin as she fed and hugged her even tighter. 

"Don't cry. I have waited impatiently for this day to come for a long time..."

_My body is painted with this man's blood. I don't understand anymore, this boundary of ours._ Yuuki nearly gasped as she saw a creature, teeth glinting from underneath locks of hair. _What is this...? The pieces of my memories? _

Yuuki lifted herself up from Kaname's neck, the tears sliding down her face as Kaname stared back up at her. 

"See anything strange?"

"Yes... Something very scary. But I'm not human either. I remembered Okaa-sama sacrificing herself and casting a spell on my body, Otou-sama tried to save me from the evil man and went up to above." She continued to talk as Kaname pulled her close. "The two of them were strong until they weren't." 

"Yuuki." 

"Why did they have to do this? To prevent someone from finding me?" 

"Don't press, calm down Yuuki." 

From behind, the wall and window cracked from the sudden rush of her uncontrolled pureblood power. Looking back, she began to truly realize what these changes were doing to her. 

"Yuuki, don't question your existence," Kaname told her. "And don't question the choice those two made to save you. Ten years of looking after you and watching you forget everything..." 

"Kaname... Onii-sama... There must be something wrong with me because all this time, I've been in love with my brother." 

Kaname tilted Yuuki's head up by her chin, leaning close to her mouth. "And? What's wrong with that?"

"But..." Kaname licked the stray blood. "I lived as a human up until now." 

"So? We are fiancées." 

"Otou-sama and Okaa-sama were siblings too. But this kind of thing..." 

"Is something only beasts would do?" Kaname finished for her. "That is right, we are not human... Or are you planning to leave me all by myself again?"

_By himself...?_ Yuuki wasn't able to answer when a strange scent had taken over her senses. "What... Is that smell? Blood? But whose blood is this?" 

"Just relax in the smell of blood, that way you will understand which side you should stay in."

Kaname had removed himself from the bed and headed out. Before he closed the door, he told Yuuki to stay. "I'll be back soon." He said as he left. 

Not long after he walked away, Yuuki got up and opened the window. She couldn't take her mind off of the scent of blood, wanting to know who it could belong to. She knew it wasn't Ichiru's or Zero's so that eased her mind just the slightest. 

_So who...? _

... 

Rima flipped backward, gripping the side of her torso as she skidded to a stop in a crouch. She glared up at the person in Shiki's body. "Hurting a model's body, you are the worst! And a sudden attack too." 

She stood straight, removing her hand to reveal the wound healing. "In times like this, I feel so glad to be a vampire."

Blood circulated around Shiki's body, utilizing the vampire's ability to control his blood like a whip. Ichijo had stepped in between them, determined not to let this exchange continue any further. 

"That wound is quite deep so don't force yourself." He told Rima and then, he turned to Shiki. "This is not the time to use Shiki's hands to do such a thing." 

"What if I say that sooner or later, I will remove all of the anti-councils just like Ichiou had hoped?" 

"Rido-sama..." 

Rima scowled, lifting a hand up. Electricity crackled around her fingers as she glared at the vampire. "You are pissing me off. Using Shiki's face and voice but saying something so vulgar to me. I will kick whoever you are out of Shiki's body so just have that in mind!" 

A thin whip of blood floated in the air. "Hmph, it's not that easy." 

Upon seeing the smirk, Ichijo's body moved but he was too late. Blood had pierced straight through Rima's torso, barely missing vital organs. Rido smirked cruelly, blood swirling around one raised hand. 

"Wrong side?" 

Ichijo glared at Rido, holding Rima in his arms. Rima twitched, finding her voice after such an attack. 

"Shiki... You IDIOT! Letting someone else do what he pleases, you should take care of yourself more!" 

Rido felt his son's body freeze up at the girl's sentence. He stumbled, quickly gaining back his balance as he held his head. "Don't fight back, Senri..." 

... 

Yuuki stared down at the floor, the winter wind no longer bothering her. 

"Knowing that it's not Ichiru's blood is calming..." She recalled Ichiru's expression, void of any emotions. "Even though I now have no right to worry for him." 

Standing up, Yuuki jumped out of the window with a purpose. 

From below, Kain and Aidou stood watch. Kain looked upward and noticed the falling pureblood. 

"Hanabusa... She really is trying to get away." 

Yuuki landed with the grace of any pureblood vampire, straightening up with a confidence she didn't have before. She side glanced at both vampires as Aidou took a step forward to talk to her. 

"Cross Yuuki," Aidou began. "Kaname-sama told us that no matter what happens, we need to watch after you here." 

The once human sighed. "Please move away, Aidou-senpai, Kain-senpai." 

Kain eyed her. "She doesn't seem to listen to you." 

Aidou continued to press. "Please return to your room, Yuu..." 

The stare he got screamed dominance, not yet experienced as Kaname's stare but impressive enough to silence any lower classed vampire. Aidou stopped mid-word, eyebrow twitching just the slightest as Yuuki repeated her sentence. 

"Please get out of my way, there is a place I must go." Then, she began to walk. "You two, if you don't want to make Kaname-senpai mad, just go ahead and follow me. I'm going to the Day Class Dorms."

Kain and Aidou could only sigh and follow. 

_ Chapter 38: END _


	41. Never The Same

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With an enemy setting up attack, memories regained, and glimpses of a hidden past, things are never going to be the same.

The sound of shoes tapping against the wooden flooring echoed. 

Kaname walked past the silver-haired vampire, barely glancing at her as he began to give orders. "Seiren, it will be dawn soon. Have those who are able to move during the day take turns guarding the Day Dorms. Don't let anyone from the Day Class outside... Because after this, many unexpected things will happen."

Seiren merely lowered her head and walked in the opposite direction. "I am at your service, master." 

In front of Kaname stood Ruka, hands placed in front of her and eyes lowered shyly. "Kaname-sama..." 

"Ruka." 

"I can guess from the scent and the presence of blood carried by the wind..." 

"Why do you have an apologetic expression on your face?" Kaname asked, staring down the vampire in front of him. 

"Because I've been a fool who only cares for her own feelings... That is, until I am faced with the truth." She bowed in a perfect nintey degree angle. "I will go to the Day Dorms. I need to be useful." 

As she passed him by, wine-red eyes watched her go. "Ruka... I'm sorry."

Ruka stopped, hands clenched tight. "I was only dancing around in my own world so please don't apologize, Kaname-sama..." 

"I see... Then I'll say something truly unfair- I trust you."

The aristocrat looked over her shoulder with a smile. "Thank you very much."

...

"Akatsuki." 

Kain looked at Ruka, who had just arrived in front of the Day Class Dorms. 

"I caught you at a good time. It'll be dawn soon so continue guarding the Day Dorms. Day Class lectures are cancelled so don't let anyone leave." She told him, walking away. 

"Hey Ruka." When she stopped to look at him, he gave her a concerned look. "Are you okay?" 

"I want to show you a strong and responsible woman and also... The one who will bear difficult thoughts will be 'her' instead of me." 

... 

Yuuki stood in front of the door. 

Right on the otherside was where the twins had resided. She didn't know how to feel as of this moment, hand ready to knock on the door yet refusing to do so. All she had to do was knock and yet... _I made up my mind and came... The hand that was supposed to knock on the door has stopped. _

Her now sensitive hearing picked up on the quiet footsteps approaching. The door stayed shut but she could tell that Ichiru was standing on the other side.

"Did you think that we would talk civily if we met like this?" 

Yuuki wisely said nothing. 

"A human turned vampire... But if I truly really think about it, we are the same. But all I can feel across this door is an arrogant pureblood who trifles with humans."

"You're right, Ichiru." She settled after a long silence. "I'm glad that you understand. I'm not the Yuuki that you know anymore... Because the vampire side of me _ate_ the other part." 

...

Aidou had stood out there with a pair of open-toed sandals in his hands when the door opened and slammed shut. He turned and saw Yuuki running down the stairs, clearly ignoring his presence. 

"Ruka brought these shoes..." Yuuki just dashed by. "What- _Hey!_" 

Kain gave Aidou a pointed look. "Follow her, Hanabusa." 

Aidou gave chase at the surprisingly fast girl. "Wait, Cross Yuuki. No, I mean- _Yuuki-sama!_ You're still barefoot." 

That, had Yuuki freezing in her spot. Aidou approached as the girl lifted her foot up to check it. Aidou nearly jumped out of his own skin at the action. 

"Er, you couldn't have..."

"No, I thought I cut my foot just now." 

_I thought I'll be killed by Kaname-sama!_ Aidou thought, slamming the shoes down at Yuuki's feet with a newfound irritation. "I don't care anymore, hurry and put these on- I mean, please put on these shoes, Yuuki-_sama_."

Yuuki stared down at Aidou before her expression curled up in disbelief and disgust. "I never thought the day would come when Aidou-senpai would call me Yuuki-sama... I thought you would still use 'Cross Yuuki' or 'Hey you'..."

Aidou looked away worriedly. "I'm really sorry for everything up until now... Anyway," He grabbed Yuuki's foot and lead it to the sandal's opening. "Put it on... Please. If you don't return to your room, Kaname-sama will be worried."

A droplet landed on Aidou's head, causing him to look up and spot the silver streams curling down her face. 

"For a pureblood to cry in front of others is something unheard of."

Yuuki stared out in the distance. "If it's something I can only cry about in my heart, it would be almost like a sin." 

... 

Kaname entered the room. 

It was messy, abandoned and dusty with objects. There were sheets over the objects, obscuring what they might've been. But what was uncovered and covered in chains was a pristine black coffin. He stepped in further, clearly with the intent to do something in this room. Kaname eyed the coffin, knowing what he must do before he can end it all. 

"This is his temporary residence." 

Kaname looked to the right and found Zero, still wrapped up in those sheets of his that dragged on the floor behind him. He vaguely noted that he was bare from the waist down but all vital parts were covered in a long nightshirt that reached his mid-thighs. 

"Kiryuu Zero..." Kaname greeted and tilted his head. "Can you open the cover of that coffin?" 

The elder twin approached the coffin. "I can, but I am unsure if I want to." 

"It's fine, you can disobey my orders." Kaname offered half-heartedly. 

Zero said nothing but knelt beside the coffin and began to remove the chains anyway. Kaname watched it all happen, that obedience similar to that of Ichiru's when he was feeling docile. 

"Upon meeting you and Ichiru, it had been my first time meeting living twins of a hunter family." Kaname began, hands crossed as he waited. "When it comes to hunter twins, both will indefinitely be stillborn. But when the fetuses still have no sense of self, acting more on instinct, they fight and eat each other inside the womb like vampires." 

Zero laughed softly, removing the last of the chains. "That was a path Fate had considered. Yet here we are." 

"There are rare cases where it seems that one side takes the other's life force... Then would the strongest hunter be born. But you were already aware of that, no?" 

"Of course," Zero agreed, tucking his legs under and placing his hands on his lap. "However, we aren't here to discuss me and my twin, right?" 

Zero pushed the coffin cover, revealing a man with the typical Kuran traits. "There. The coffin is opened and I know I cannot stop you nor this man, so do as you please. Even now, you can't prevent him from returning to his old body, failing to destroy the very last piece." 

Kaname approached, kneeling on one knee and placing a hand on the slumbering vampire's chest. Zero handed Kaname a blade to which he took and stabbed his own hand, blood spilling and pooling on the vampire's chest. 

"The time has come... _Rido_." 

... 

The sunlight that poured through the window pained Ichiru. 

Ichiru closed the curtains with a hiss, expression turned sour by the night's events. They replayed in his mind but what's done is done. Day time has come and with it, the trouble he dreaded to follow. 

"Hey Ichiru, I've come to see you after awhile and what is this?" Yagari said loudly. "You're turning into a hermit? Stupid student. It was snowing last night, but it feels pretty good this morning. You should open the curtains at least."

Behind Yagari, stood Kaien Cross, locking the door behind him. Ichiru scowled. 

"That's my decision. It's brighter than before." 

Kaien tapped Yagari on the shoulder. "Ichiru isn't in the mood for that right now. Lots of things have happened so give him your sympathy." 

"Chairman." 

Kaien flinched at the call of his name. "Did you know everything?" 

Reluctantly, the man admitted to it. That answer earned the Chairman one of Ichiru's dull and coldest glares that he could've mustered. The man cowered behind Yagari with trembling lips. 

"Ichiru, don't be mad! It's scary! Really, there are things one can't say. You should understand, right?" 

Yagari pulled out a cigarette. "Ichiru, whose blood did you drink? You've got some ominous aura mixed about." 

Ichiru gritted his teeth. "Master, what did you come here for? To give me a lecture?"

"No." He said bluntly. "There is one other pureblood other than Shizuka, whose whereabouts are unknown. I was investigating some leads and they lead here." 

"Pureblood...?" Ichiru's eyes widened as he was reminded of Zero's words long ago. "Aniki." 

"Aniki?" Both men echoed. 

"Aniki... He has been acting strange recently. He's been afraid of someone. He won't tell me who it is but there is someone he's afraid of. The only other thing Aniki would actively be afraid of or hostile with is vampires... And if I'm thinking right..." 

"That might be the missing pureblood." Yagari finished. 

Ichiru clenched his fists. 

... 

When Ichijo opened the door carrying Shiki, he hadn't expected Kaname and Zero to be there at the now open coffin. 

"Kaname, Zero? What are you two..." Ichijo hurriedly laid Shiki's unconscious body onto a nearby bed. He turned to Kaname with confusion on his face. 

"Why are you flustered, Ichijo?" Kaname asked. "It's alright. Even if I cut this man to thousands of pieces, I can never deliver the final blow. So I thought I should let him return to his original form as he wishes." 

Kaname looked down at his bleeding hand. "Take it, Rido. The thing that drove you mad with want- the strongest blood of a Kuran."

By his side, Zero watched with clenched fists and a straightened posture.

_ Chapter 39: END _


	42. Conspiracy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What makes everything so heart-wrenching is that it's conspiracies wrapped into one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oho. Triple update...  
This is the chapter I have hyped up for so long- the plot twist in which I spoke so highly of may or may not disappoint you but I personally enjoy it.

Zero knows that things that he shouldn't. 

Like how he knew about the murder of two of the last remaining Kurans, watched how it played out and knew how it would've ended. He also knew about Shizuka's life and how it was going to end should she continue down that path of madness all those years ago. Zero knew things and that made him the anomaly- the single butterfly, flapping his wings once and ended up causing a hurricane followed by mass destruction in the lives of could-be ordinary people.

So he should've expected another anomaly to be added to that list.

Zero isn't omnipresent. He may know something but he doesn't know all of it. What he did know was his key in manipulating the flow of things. His little hysterical episode was due to his repressing of emotions- he should've known better than to regress to such a child-like state. But what's done is done, he was just going to have to deal with it. 

His cards have been dealt and now, he must play them. 

Watching Kaname stab his hand to spill his blood wasn't surprising- he was to revive a man he was unable to kill himself. From the sidelines, Ichijo stared at Kaname incredulously. 

"Kaname, what do you mean by 'can't kill'?" 

Beneath Kaname's hand, the blood began to bubble on Rido's skin. 

"No, that's not the question..." Ichijo ran towards Kaname, grabbing the hilt of the blade. "It doesn't matter if I live or not, but this person's life-" Kaname held the blade in place as Ichijo attempted to pull it. 

"Why... Why do you purebloods always do things so recklessly? Fine! You've never thought about being understood anyways but I feel very entrusted." 

Kaname removed his wounded hand from the blade. The wound was already healing due to his accelerated regeneration. Kaname licked the blood off his hand. 

"Since the blood was injected into the body directly, I won't need a weapon tomorrow night. To be awakened even under this condition... How dreadful." Kaname patted Ichijo on his shoulder, walking away from him. "Don't worry, you only need a chop to the head or heart. Then, you'll become dust within seconds." 

"Uh, Kaname!" Ichijo stared at Kaname's back. "You want to kill Rido-sama but you never said why you can't kill him off." 

"That's because," Zero's voice had Ichijo looking in his direction. "Kaname is the first born ancestor of the Kuran family and Rido is the 'master' who had awaken him from his grave." 

...

Ichiou stared out the window. "Rido-sama will successfully receive the Kuran Blood and reawaken. It is only a matter of time. Then, he will replace Kaname-sama and the time for the council to become powerful will come. But the hunters gathered at the academy are the only unpredictable factor."

He glared at the figure in the shadows. 

"What is there to worry about besides the vampires who are at the same level as Rido-sama? Even if he lived more than me, he is still just a child. At the same time, he will never be able to get the answers he's looking for." 

Ichiou looked away. "Why did he raise the Kiryuu twins?" 

A twinkling laugh echoed. "It might be just a very boring answer like he was bored? Please forgive my rudeness. The other twin is weak and unimportant yet... Ichiru was born in the hunter's house by the name of Kiryuu but his body ended up becoming a vampire and drank the blood of the Kuran princess. I have thought about using him but..." 

The head of the Hunter's Association stepped into the light. "But no matter what, he will not become obedient to me. So, he is imprisoned as a dangerous vampire as per the order of the head of Hunter's society... _My order._"

...

The cage slammed shut. Ichiru leaned against the cold brick wall with a sigh. Yagari stared and sighed himself. Looking at his student being so resigned made him feel a certain way.

"At least resist a little, would you? You're too obedient for my tastes." Yagari remarked, gaining silence in response. "Ignoring me? Fine, I'll punish you later, okay? Until the situation is cleared, stay right here and wait. This is for your own good. Your blade will be placed here." 

Yagari walked away, leaving Ichiru to his thoughts. His mind flashed to Yuuki, feeling nothing but heartache at the thought of her. Then came the image of his brother, causing him further dread. 

_How can I even think properly if I'm stuck here?_

...

Morning came faster than expected. 

Yuuki's vampire eyes had caught sunlight for the first time, causing her to shield her eyes from the stinging pain. Aidou had waited as she stared out the open window, the sun beaming brightly on the Earth. 

"Morning has already come," Aidou told her. "Let's return before Kaname-sama comes back." 

"Yes..." Yuuki said, looking backward. "I thought I smelled Kaname-senpai's blood." 

Aidou stared. "I know you're probably sensitive to many things right now, but we must return before Kaname-sama worries." 

"But, I feel a sinister presence and something pulls me to it..." Yuuki looked up out the window and into the skies. "Something is stirring..."

_It's coming closer..._

...

Students murmured in the hallways of their dorms. 

"Hey, did you hear? Classes are cancelled for awhile. I got a message saying that we can prepare to return home for some time." 

One of the girls turned to the other, "Wanna go to the Night Dorms?"

"During the day? It's kinda hard."

"In any case, we're not allowed to go outside without future instructions." 

"Eh?" 

Yori looked around worriedly for her best friend and roommate. Where in the hell could Yuuki be? 

"Ah, Sayori, Sayori! Did you manage to get in touch?" One of the girls called out.

"Yeah... Hey, have you two seen Yuuki?" 

"Nope." The other girl answered. "Didn't you go to the Chairman's to see what's up?" 

Yori looked downward with worry. "I brought a change of clothes but I didn't get to see her. I don't think she went back without telling me..." 

_Yuuki, I feel like you're hiding from me... I know you have 'something' you can't tell me. And I know you're doing that to make me not worry about you._

... 

"Hey, hey! I don't think we should walk around on our own." 

The girl laughed. "But we don't get many chances like this. It'll be okay. Right now, they must be in the Night Dorms..." 

"Good morning, girls."

Both girls turned to the mysterious woman. "Young girls are so lively in the morning. I was once like that too."

The woman appeared in front of the pair, startling them both to take a step back. "Well, would you please become a present for the master?"

"How... Did she get in front of me...?" One girl asked, getting scared. 

"Maki, let's go... She's kinda scary." 

The woman leaned in close, a finger trailing up from Maki's jaw to her chin. "That's right, I'm scary because..." Her claws sharpened as she revealed her fangs. "I'm a vampire."

The vampire's hand cut off, flames burning at her flesh. There in between vampires and humans was Akatsuki Kain, straightening up and ready to defend. 

"Akatsuki, why are you being lenient on her?" Ruka asked as she stepped in front of the group of vampires. "A vampire that was a former human... I wonder whose servant are you? We won't forgive those who trespass upon Kaname-sama's territory."

... 

Yori took a step back. 

There in front of her stood a strange man, the window wide open behind him. He greeted her with a creepy smile. "How do you do, Miss? We're in the middle of preparing a present for our master who we haven't seen in so long."

"Who...?" 

"Like I said a-" 

Ice stabbed through the man before he could finish his sentence. Yori was too shocked to even say or do anything as she watched the man turn into dust and the ice evaporate into the air. Then she heard it.

"Are you alright, Yori-chan?!" The familiar voice called out as the smoke cleared. "Did he do anything to you?"

There, stepping into the room from the window was Yuuki and by her side was Aidou, icicles floating above the open palm of his hand. Yuuki was different from before- the most noticeable difference was the long locks of hair that seemed to grow overnight. Even her aura had gone from sunshine to cloudy skies, more mature than her once innocent nature. 

"Yuuki...?" 

Hearing her name from Yori's lips reminded the girl that she was no longer the person she once was. Yuuki immediately closed off, shoulders hunching as she lowered her gaze. 

"I'm sorry, Yori-chan... For making you go through something scary." 

"Just now, the person who became ash-" 

"He's the same as me," Yuuki looked up at her with such a sad smile. "I'm sorry, I-" 

Yori dashed forward and enveloped Yuuki into a hug, startling the girl mid-sentence. 

"Idiot!" Yuuki was stunned into silence. "Apologizing with such a sad face, you're making me sad! I was waiting for Yuuki to come back safely. I was more scared of the fact that you might not return as my best friend." 

Yuuki realized that even as she was right now, Yori was still going to be her friend. She hugged Yori back, tears welling up in her eyes. "Yori-chan..." 

... 

Sangria eyes snapped open. 

Zero stared at the coffin, nails digging into his skin as he felt something in the air stir. A hand pushed through the mess that made up of Kaname's blood and a disgusting mass of flesh. It made a disgusting sloshing sound as the hand belonging to the body gripped the sides of the coffin and pushed themselves up in a sitting position. 

Sat in the coffin was a newly resurrected Rido Kuran, dual eyes opened and unfocused for a few seconds before scanning the room and landing on Zero's figure. Zero lowered his head in submission. 

"Welcome back." 

Rido stared and reached out a hand to caress his cheek gently. "What a warm welcome... Did you miss me, treasure?" 

Zero bit his lip to refrain from retaliating in anger. "No. I would've preferred it if you remained dead." 

He laughed, opting to roughly pat his face instead of caressing. "You don't mean that." 

"I meant _every_ word." 

This made Rido frown. His hand trailed to the back of Zero's head, fingers entangling into the silver strands before pulling the hair in his hand. _Hard_. Zero gasped, head jerking backward in an attempt to ease the pain and both hands reaching up to grasp at Rido's arm. Zero gritted his teeth at the pain as Rido leaned in, tongue licking a long stripe up his neck in a sensual manner that sent disgust through Zero's whole being.

"How I've missed you, darling _Leya_." 

Zero glared at him, "The sentiment isn't returned, _Ambrogio_." 

... 

From below, Ichiru sat in his cell with a worried look. 

"There is one more pureblood... Something ominous is coming." 

"I'm surprised." Kaname's voice had Ichiru reeling back to reality. "I thought you were going to cry." 

Ichiru groaned, not in the mood of Kaname's manipulations. "Go away. You're annoying, Kuran." 

Kaname ignored Ichiru's complaint with a smirk. "That's right, if you're not in such good spirits like that, it'll trouble me..." 

"Hah, and how are you troubled?" 

"The chess piece I so carefully raised for four years will soon become the 'King' that will eat everything." Kaname's smirk was wiped from his face. "That piece is you. The monster that has awakened from his coffin, you will destroy him." 

Ichiru stared at Kaname incredulously. "What's with you? Do it your damn self." 

"Do you want to pretend like you don't know? What you have taken into your body has slowly begun to move." Kaname glared at him. "First, you unconsciously took your twin's power of breaking the other fragment. You were born with the excellent lineage of a hunter by taking that power. If you were to complete the fragmentation here, it'll be better for you." 

Ichiru gritted his teeth, knowing full well where Kaname was getting at. "Stop." 

"Afterwards, you had begun to change into a vampire due to Shizuka. You feasted on the blood of Yuuki who looked after you..." 

"Don't say it, Kuran." Ichiru warned. 

"Along with taking her blood, Yuuki awakened. The original power of the Kuran family must have already started awakening in your body. And I, who had taken the blood and power of Shizuka, gave you my blood." 

Ichiru settled for a glare. 

"I forgave things that were never meant to be forgiven all for this day... Soon you will become the most powerful hunter. You are the only one that can break Rido's curse on me." Kaname finished. 

"Do you really think that I would do something to save you?" 

"You won't ever betray Yuuki... And, you won't let Zero suffer the consequences of being in Rido's hands, now would you?" 

That had Ichiru thinking. His brother, catching the attention of a mad pureblood? Thoughts of the someone that Zero was scared of returned, making him realize that it his suspicions about Rido was right. How can he protect him if he was so powerless and in this cage? He would have to acquire Kaname's help if he wanted to do _something_.

"As long as Rido's existence is prolonged, he would forever chase after Zero." He let the thought sink in before turning around. "Farewell." 

"Wait." 

Kaname smirked. 

...

"There are vampires who hide their identities from society but I..." Kaien stood in front of the window. "I wanted to show the important people in our world that not all vampires are frightening. I didn't want to use underhanded strategies to achieve this. I wanted them to see us eye to eye." 

Yagari averted his gaze from Kaien's back. "It's a shame that you couldn't accomplish your final goal." 

"No... I haven't given up the hope that the unspoken rule, 'There is no right or wrong; killing vampires is not a sin' will be nulled." 

Kaien pulled off his glasses. "But right now, there is something I have to do..." 

... 

Zero staggered down the stairs. 

He should've known that trying to escape from Rido... No, trying to escape from Ambrogio was never going to work. He gritted his teeth as the wound on his neck bled profusely. It stained the sheets and nightshirt red, his hand desperately clutching at it to at least slow down the rapid bleeding. Besides, this was the perfect opportunity to give Ichiru what he needs. 

Everything swayed for a split second before returning to normal, causing Zero to suck his teeth at his misfortune. "Bloody bastard, taking such a huge chunk..."

Luckily, he was able to return the favor. Bloody Rose in his other hand, the weapon had been hidden underneath the sheets and nightshirt in a holster on his thigh. Now, it was a race against time to give Bloody Rose to Ichiru before it would all become too late. 

He stepped into the shallow light, Ichiru's eyes widening at the blood that coated his brother. 

"Aniki! What- What happened?" 

Zero smiled. "It is harder to get away from a mad pureblood than you think, Ichiru. Now..." 

He aimed Bloody Rose at Ichiru. 

** _BANG! _ **

_ Chapter 40: END _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... More plot development, new names and so much more to be explained. 
> 
> Leya [ Ley-ah ] Spanish/Hebrew Origins; The Law, Loyalty to the Law, Lion. A name that Rido consistently refers to Zero as.  
Ambrogio [ Am-bro-jo ] Italian/Greek Origins; Immortal. Derived from the Greek word, Ambrosios. Is also the name of the supposedly first vampire in Greek Mythology, who was a human turned vampire. A name that Zero will constantly refer to 'Rido' as.
> 
> Damn straight your girl did some research. The names I give always have meaning, a backstory, and a purpose. I suppose you can derive something from the given information but I will neither deny nor confirm. Much more to come, especially when it comes to the mystery that is Kiryuu Zero. Remember, any questions can be asked in the comments and will be answered in the end notes of the next chapter.
> 
> Until next update...


	43. Take It All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hunter twins were never to be born. So when the time comes, one of them will take it all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today's chapter is Zero/Ichiru centric with just a tiny scene with Rido/Zero. No Kaname or Yuuki in this one.   
We're delving into the emotional bond between the twins for this one, so do be aware that you may or may not feel emotions during the chapter. If you've noticed, there's a new tag- a Kiryuu Zero/Kuran Rido tag. More development! Oh but we must get moving. 
> 
> Do enjoy.

"Aniki, why were we born separately?" 

A young Zero blinked, looking up from his book at his twin. He tilted his head in question, urging the other boy to explain his reasoning. Ichiru sighed, sitting on the side of the bed as he grabbed Zero's hand. 

"To be born part of Aniki would've been so much better. What was the reason that I was born, only to make you suffer?" 

Zero frowned, closing the book and using the corner of it to slam into Ichiru's forehead. Ichiru yelped, snatching his hands out of Zero's to hold his throbbing forehead. 

"Ow... What was that for, Aniki?"

"You were being an idiot." Zero replied bluntly. Then, he pulled Ichiru for a hug. "Don't antagonize yourself for being born the stronger twin. The fact that I am here now only means that I have the strength to be by your side."

**When I said things like that, I knew what kind of face Aniki would make. At these times, I resented the fact that I was 'stronger' than Aniki, his aura much weaker than mine. Aniki knew that as well, but continued to comfort me... **

**_Me, _the 'stronger' twin out of us both.**

Both twins laid on their sides, facing each other and staring. Zero's book having been placed on the stand beside the bed. They held each other's hands tight, both lost in their own thoughts. 

_What can I do about it? _Ichiru thought desperately, staring at Zero's serene face._ I can't change the past but it feels like it was my fault that Aniki's body was so frail like this. I took away the other half inside of mother's body. It became mine just like vampires._

"Hey, Ichiru. What are you thinking about?" 

Zero smiled, gripping Ichiru's hand tighter and moving closer so their foreheads touched. "You're being hesitant. You won't become a powerful hunter if you continue on this path of self-doubt. And the things you are unable to tell me, remember to tell Mama and Papa. There are things you hide from me because we know each other too well. It worries me." 

"O-Okay." Ichiru agreed, followed by a yawn. "Aniki. I love you." 

"I love you too," Zero replied, giving him an eskimo kiss and making Ichiru smile.

**Little by little, I decided to do what Aniki wanted me to do. **

"Sleeping together again?" Their mother questioned softly, lifting up the covers to their shoulders. "I'm back, sorry it's so late." 

Gently, she patted both of their heads, wishing them a good night and a warm kiss upon both of them. Unknown to her, Ichiru was still awake, eyes barely open. _Stop it, Mama. _

**Little by little, the gears started to slow. The warmth that Mama gave equally, it all belonged to Aniki- it was _meant_ for Aniki. **

** _But I took them all away._ **

... 

"Stop dozing off, darling. Look at me." 

Ichiru sluggishly lifted up his head, wondering why his brother had shot him in the shoulder. The scent of his brother's blood was becoming stronger now that he was wounded and almost immediately, he knew what Zero was trying to do. _Did he want to give me the last remaining strength?_ The thought had Ichiru recoiling slightly. 

"Being captured and so obedient isn't a good look on you Ichiru." Zero smiled, kneeling in front of him and removing the bloodied sheets around him. "You never stopped punishing yourself, haven't you? Thinking it would be for the best. But that isn't right." 

Zero gently caressed Ichiru's face. "I would feel much better if you took advantage of me. Taking what's yours." 

"Aniki... Why?"

"Why what?" 

Ichiru took a deep breath. "Why are you doing this?" 

Zero tilted his head. "I know you heard me that night you went to Kaname and drank his blood. You heard my vow- _I will protect you even if I have to become the soul offered to the devil himself._"

"Even if that devil wants to cage you?" Ichiru retorted, feeling guilty at the flash of pain it brought. 

"Even then." Zero agreed, removing his bloodied hand from his wound. "This academy was the Hunter Society's base before and this basement was originally meant to imprison vampires... Although you are a vampire, you are still incomplete. You know what you have to do." 

Ichiru glared. "What does that have to do with anything? The better question to ask involves that horrible injury on your neck." 

Zero sighed, body slumping forward and into Ichiru's embrace. "You have long made the connection between the missing pureblood and Kuran Rido. I visited him as he awoken from his recent resurrection..." 

... 

"_The sentiment isn't returned, Ambrogio._" 

Rido- No, _Ambrogio_ laughed cruelly, taking another lick at Zero's neck. "Of that I'm sure... That gun pointed at me tells me so." 

Bloody Rose's nuzzle pushed into the underside of Ambrogio's jaw, the weapon glinting in the candlelight of the room. Zero looked at him with hate, that sliver of fear was reduced alongside the small trembles of Zero's body. The pureblood wasn't even bothered by it- knowing that his beloved would never be without some sort of weapon when around him. 

"Leya," Ambrogio's nose nuzzled against Zero's pulse. "I love it when you threaten me." 

"Again with that name." Zero glared. "Leya was just a plaything for you, an obsession you couldn't be rid of. I won't let 'Zero' become the same." 

Dual eyes narrowed. "You will submit to me again, Leya. And we will live our long-overdue eternity together." 

Then, Ambrogio savagely _bit_. 

... 

"... And he hasn't gotten rid of his obsession just yet." 

Ichiru felt his body tremble as Zero panted against him. There's no way his brother was dying in front of him. Zero, who always took care of him - his knight in shining armor - couldn't be here in his arms and bleeding out in the process. Zero's hands gripped tightly at Ichiru's arms. 

"Usually... This would be... Mm, the other way around..." Zero laughed breathily. "Does my blood smell good? It smells metallic to me..." 

"Aniki," Ichiru gritted his teeth. "This is not the time to be joking." 

"Hugging like this... It makes me feel calm. Knowing that you are here makes me... So, so happy." 

"Aniki, please stop talking!" Ichiru held Zero tightly, tears beginning to fall. "We can leave now and go get some help- just please, please stop..." 

"Ichiru..." 

"Don't say it, Aniki. Please, don't say it!" Ichiru was sobbing at this point. "We didn't have to do it all those years and we don't now." 

"Take it." Zero rasped, gripping at the sleeves. "Take it all and don't regret it. From the very beginning, my life was in the palm of your hands. Eating me will give you your rightful strength and bring your inner conflict to a resolution." 

"NO!" Ichiru ignored the throbbing in his fangs. "I won't! I won't, I won't, I won't." 

"Why else would I shoot you using Bloody Rose?" Zero told him, lifting himself from Ichiru's grip with shaky arms. He placed Bloody Rose in his hands, making sure Ichiru gripped the handle properly. "Isn't this what you wanted long ago? To become one with me?" 

"But not like this, Aniki." Ichiru cried. "I don't want to lose you... Please...!"

"Go on," Zero cooed, bloodied hands going to cradle Ichiru's face. He rubbed the tips of their noses together, a gesture he hadn't done since their parents' death. "Take it all. Keep Bloody Rose safe for me... Just know that I love you and I don't regret this choice and neither should you." 

Ichiru's cries echoed and it all went hazy.

... 

Zero felt it. 

The power slipping away from his grasp, transferring to Ichiru- it's rightful owner. He smiled, the gruesome act of devouring a live human shouldn't make him feel so incredibly happy but it had. While he was sad that he was leaving Ichiru behind, he was able to leave this world without much regrets. He only wished that he could see Ichiru grow as a person a little more longer... 

But then, Ichiru paused. 

His sniffles echoed loudly as he moved away from Zero's body. _Why...? _Zero couldn't even open his eyes. _Why did you stop, Ichiru? _

"I... I can't, Aniki..." He sniffled. "It feels- so dis-disgusting yet t-tastes so good. But I just can't...!" 

_Ah... _Zero felt his lips twitch._ Maybe it was just a bit too much to ask Ichiru of this. _Either way, he was able to give Ichiru what he needed- that and Bloody Rose. He could only hope that Bloody Rose would behave for him. 

"T-Then..." 

Ichiru gasped, hearing the faint whisper. He leaned close to Zero to hear even better. His eyes widened at his brother's whisper, straightening up and wiping away the blood from his mouth. 

"Aniki... I will fulfill this promise..." He vowed, getting up to stagger out of the basement with a newfound determination. 

Zero laid there, heart beating slowly.

_ Chapter 41: END _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no, I left it at another cliff hanger.   
Did everyone enjoy these last updates? I did like writing these past chapters. Nevertheless, things are escalating fairly quickly and Zero seems to be sacrificing everything... Do I plan to leave off at Kaname & Yuuki leaving as in the anime or will I continue with the manga? I have been asked a similar question before but this story follows the manga completely, meaning we get all that drama after Kaname and Yuuki leave the academy. Also, would you think I'll kill/get rid off my darling Zero?   
Well, you'd be right-   
Ahem. I hope that answers your question, dear reader. Remember, any questions can be asked in the comments and will be answered in the end notes of the next chapter. 
> 
> Until next update...


	44. Show Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The curtains are to open as the show begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! I'm not dead and this story isn't abandoned.
> 
> Do enjoy.

When Shiki came to, he found himself on a bed. He lifted himself up by his elbows, hands going up to rub his face as he peeked through his fingers at the figure in front of him. "Ichijo-san? What are you doing?" 

Ichijo stood in front of a cloud of ash, blade in one hand and clothes in the other. "Hm? Something happened. A weird vampire showed up and attacked you guys when you were asleep." 

"Other than this, don't you have somewhere you wanted go?" Shiki tilted his head. "I'm okay now, so..." 

Ichijo smiled and sheathed his blade. "I see. I will leave Rima to you then."

With Ichijo gone, Shiki turned to the unconscious vampire behind him. He recalled the moments where he was told to live like a puppet to appease his mother. The scene changed to where Rima was glaring at him while under his father's possession. 

_Shiki! You should love yourself more!_

"Rima..." He leaned down and embraced her. "Sorry..." 

Their moment wasn't to last, however, as Shiki sat up and moved to the edge of the bed. At the doorway was a vampire in all black, a small smile on his face. 

"I'm only here to check something out. You are Rido-sama's puppet, yes?"

Shiki smirked, nails breaking skin to activate his Blood Whip. The tendrils of blood floated in the air. "That's alright. This puppet is now able to move by its own strings." 

... 

After handling the vampires, Kain led the human girls back into the safety of their dorms. "If you don't want to be in danger again then stay inside the dorm, got it?" He told them, just about to close the door. 

"E-Excuse me!" One of them spoke up. "I have something to ask. There is something that looks like a human but not really human... So are you one of them?"

Kain sighed. "Ask later. We'll be sure to protect you."

He closed the door, turning to his fellow aristocrat. "Ruka..." 

The sunhat flew into the air, Ruka eyeing the shadows behind the trees. "Kain. The intruders are planning to attack after sunset. We should clean this mess up before that. Ah, Ichijo-sama!" 

Ichijo approached the pair with Seiren behind him. "I have something to tell you guys."

Ruka frowned. "Where have you been all this time?" 

"That isn't important right now." Ichijo exhaled. "If you guys continue to follow Kaname's plan, then you will become the ultimate enemy of the highest court in vampire society. Kaname is not trying to control you guys using the pureblood's power, he's just trying to come back with a safe retreat."

He turned to the vampire behind him. "Seiren, please go tell the others about what happened. Your master would like you to do that." 

Seiren nodded and jumped up onto the high roof. Ruka looked up at Seiren's figure. "Ichijo-sama, where are you going?" 

"There's something I need to do..."

... 

Yagari looked at the symbol upon the corpse's arm.

"It's the spell by hunters that attracted the vampires to come here." He told Kaien. "I'm positive that the society has something to do with this."

When he noticed that Kaien wasn't paying attention, he straightened up and lifted his foot to stomp on Kaien's back. "Damn it. It's about time that you step up and return to your real job!" 

Kaien grabbed Yagari's foot and pushed it off him. "To me, whether to hunt vampires or about Yuuki, the twins or the children of the Night Class- I know what I am going to choose." 

Yagari glared down at the blond. "Well, the time to scatter your blade should be at the right time and against the right opponent." 

"I know and like I said, this body has killed way too many vampires." Kaien stood up, weapon in hand. "But right now, I am going to play my role in this situation."

In front of the hunter pair stood the President and a group of fellow hunters at their side. The president hid behind their hand fan, standing there with a smug look upon their face. "Our society has concluded that the criminal who has caused this mess is the Night Class. And Cross-kun, your pacifism ideology didn't work, now did it?" 

Yagari scowled. "Get out you disgusting coward. Are you going to kill innocent vampires again?"

Kaien drew his blade. "The Day Class has the Night Class to protect them. Now, it is me who will be protecting the Night Class."

... 

Yuuki stared at Kaname with wide eyes. 

When her brother had arrived, telling her they must go, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Leave? Why were they leaving when her important people are still in danger? It just didn't make sense to her. 

"Leaving? Why- ugh." Yuuki covered her eyes at the sunlight peeking in. 

Kaname hugged her, blocking the sun from her vision. "Sorry, it's bright, isn't it? Even the slightest light can be painful..." 

"Senpai..." Yuuki buried her face into his chest.

"I will be the one to protect you, so come with me. We have somewhere we must be." 

Yuuki wanted to respond but was stopped by a flashing image. Dual eyes stared into her own, cruel and sadistic. She gasped, gripping tighter on his sleeves. 

"Kaname-senpai, I just sensed the 'eyes' from ten years ago again alongside lots of scary vampires too... I can't leave Yori here!" She looked up at him, "I can't leave, not now!" 

Wine red eyes narrowed, clearly not pleased by the girl's antics in such a critical time. He pulled Yuuki back into his embrace, hugging her tighter and more firmer than before. She wasn't going to escape his grasp. Not this time. 

"You can't run away from my arms. Compared to me, you are the same as a baby. A powerless girl like you, what can you do even if you stayed?"

Thunder rumbled, an ominous warning of what is to come. Kaname looked at Aidou with a pointed look. "Aidou, bring Yuuki's friend to a safe place." 

"Of course," Aidou replied, grabbing Yori by the arm. "Come here."

"Let me go, senpai." 

_The arms so well known to me, now feels unknown._ Yuuki struggled, only to stop when she heard something like glass cracking in the background. She gasped, looking over to the vial with the rose soaked in resin. There was a crack in the glass. Yuuki figured that Kaname had temporarily lost some of his control, most likely because of her struggling. 

"I can take you away by force if I have to, Yuuki." 

"If you do that, I won't ever forgive you." Yuuki snapped back.

At this, Kaname sighed and let her go. Yuuki immediately went for her Artemis rod on the bed. She snatched it up and looked at it with determination. 

"If you won't let me go, I'll have to use my weapon against you so... Ah!" Yuuki felt the rod shock her, electricity cackling painfully against her hands. _Why Artemis? _Distracted, she didn't notice when Kaname approached her.

"Artemis was born without a handle or anything, it was born to completely reject vampires and is a weapon against vampires..." Kaname caressed her cheek. "You are no longer human born now."

Yuuki shook off his hand, making distance between them. "I could be an idiot or whatever, I don't think this is wrong. I've come all the way here to stop now... If I do, then I'll become someone who's not even me."

"... In these ten years, I've tasted the feeling of losing someone." He looked at her sadly. "Do you want me to feel it again?"

"No," she denied. "Please... Don't make a face like that." 

Yuuki pulled him down for a chaste kiss, their lips pressing together for a few seconds before she pulled away. "It'll be fine, Onii-sama. I will definitely come back to you." 

_That's why you have to go, please... Go to do the things only you can accomplish._

... 

"Kaname-sama, where are you going?" 

Kaname looked over his shoulder at the trio. "Somewhere that even you hate, but have to go to."

Ruka took a step forward. "Kaname-sama, you are still keeping the distance from us like before. Even now, it feels like you still don't trust us." 

"Let me put it straight, President Kuran." Kain spoke up. "You are going to destroy the monsters from the council?" 

"And at the same time," Aidou continued. "You left someone precious here. If you don't trust us, you won't do that, right?"

"You can think whatever you like." Kaname said, walking away. "Now, it's your turn, Ichiru."

...

Yuuki slipped her hair up from underneath her blazer. 

Now clad in her uniform, she was ready to face whatever terrors were awaiting. She grabbed her Artemis rod from the bed, ready to try her hand at handling the rod. Electricity crackled painfully until the rod began to change shape. The metal melted, morphing into a long scythe. 

"What...?" 

She looked at the newly transformed Artemis with wonder.

_ Chapter 42: END _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Might go into a temporary hiatus around chapter 49 or so to edit past chapters and what not. Don't know, might rewrite the entirety of this once it's all over to fix any plot holes and the like. It's been awhile. Things are a bit hectic and I hate to admit it, but my dear friend has told me I've "let my children starve for too long." So do what you will with that. This update was meant to happen in March, on my birthday, but as my brain put it- it just didn't feel right. Apologies. To be honest, this is the longest I've gone without updating a story. Odd.   
Any questions can be asked in the comments and will be answered in the end notes of the next chapter. 
> 
> Until next time...


	45. A Bloody Climax

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first act of a blood-stained play is slowly coming to a close, but not without a climax.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not dead, I swear.  
So here is another update. I figured I shouldn't let my readers starve any longer than necessary, like my unplanned hiatus period. On a brighter note, we're getting somewhere. Not much of Zero here but, everyone's favorite character does appear a bit more in the next chapter so look forward to that. Ah, but I digress as always.
> 
> Do enjoy.

Zero exhaled softly. 

He had long left the confines of the basement, wound healing to a point that it hadn't even left a scar in its place. Maybe he should've told Ichiru that even if he couldn't devour him completely, he wasn't going to die... _Probably_. Zero flexed his fingers, the blood already caking and becoming dry. He stretched, feeling a bit sore after laying so long on the cold brick floor.

A quick hot shower would be the easiest fix. 

Everyone was preparing for a battle that would continue into the night. _How troublesome_, Zero thought as he exited the bathroom. _Ambrogio should've remained dead, otherwise the 'original' Rido would have met his end tonight. _Zero changed into new clothes; a silk dress shirt of azure and one of his uniform slacks. Grabbing his trench coat, he set out for the night. 

_Don't worry, Ichiru... Aniki will do one final thing for you before he has to leave for his pretty golden cage. _

...

Rido <strike>_Ambrogio_ </strike> waited. 

Waited for his precious Zero <strike>Leya</strike> to make his return. It was awfully rude of him to run away after threatening him so. He reached a hand up to his shoulder where the wound still stung from the hunter's weapon. It healed... After taking some of <strike>Zero's</strike> Leya's blood in retribution, of course. Even now, he could remember it; the taste of melted chocolate and mint, the scent of soothing lavender, the feel of soft skin against his lips- the rush of arousal and the pure sadistic _want_ of taking more for his own pleasure. Leya's moan of discomfort was music to his ears, but the pain that followed had cut him off from his euphoria abruptly. Feisty and determined Leya, even in the throes of pain, he retaliated. 

_Leya..._ His thoughts ran amok, wanting to reunite immediately. _Leya_, _leyaleyaleyaleyaleya_\- Oh Darling Leya, where have you gone? You can't go anywhere without me. <strike>_You can't leave me now._</strike>

Once, Ambrogio had wanted Leya. But he could never cage the white dove.

Now, Rido needs _and_ craves Zero. This time**,**_ he won't fail_.

But if there was one thing neither Rido or Ambrogio shared, it was patience. And they were tired of having to wait.

... 

Kain watched the scenery with Ruka by his side. They stood on watch, awaiting for the vampires that were to come. Soon, they felt the multiple presences, all of low classed vampires that gathered around. Ruka brushed away the stray strands of hair in her face. 

"It seems like we've got company." 

One of the vampires laughed. "With all your foolish beliefs, all you will do is just hurt the academy even more." 

"That's why we're here, in replacement of Rido-sama, to educate you all." 

"After all, this academy is just 'bait' to us. Do you all understand?"

Ruka glared at the vampires in front of her. "You guys..." 

"To be honest," one of the Night Class students pipped in. "I thought living peacefully with humans was impossible at first. But before I realized it, I was living at ease."

"Same here," agreed another. "Is that something prohibited?"

**BAM! **

Kain had moved the two vampires from the attack before it could hit them. Kain sighed, "No. It's not prohibited. To bleed meaninglessly is not a life for us to live."

"Me too, I am still following my feelings." Ruka took an offensive stance. "I don't think it's right for them to attack the annoying girls, who gaze over at Kaname-sama with steamy looks... That's why, I'm here to fight."

A hand stopped Ruka from rushing forward. Kain had blocked her, walking forward instead. "I'll do it. Stay away or you'll get hurt." 

"Akatsuki, that stupid Hanabusa isn't here." 

"I know..." Flames came to life around Kain. "I'll finish this and catch up with you guys." 

... 

Somewhere else, Aidou walked through the hallways of an abandoned building.

The building where the Night Class had once resided in had been used as a hiding place for someone important- that much he knew. He had bypassed the two vampires on the offense, encasing them in ice and shattering them into pieces before they could do anything. But now, as he walked, he felt uneasy. As if there was a great disturbance in the air.

"Oh, Aidou-san." 

Hearing his name, Aidou wiped around with ice crackling around his hand. He froze before he could attack, recognizing the figure that called to him. "Kiryuu Zero?" 

Zero smiled but there was something off about it. "Everyone's so lively today, aren't they?" 

"What are you doing here...?" Aidou asked, approaching the human. "Never mind that, why aren't you with the others protecting the students?" 

"Hm... While I would love to," Zero drawled, the uncharacteristic act surprising the vampire. "I have unfortunately left Bloody Rose in the hands of Ichiru and there is somewhere I must be. Would you like to join me?" 

Aidou blinked and before he knew it, he was being pulled in a random direction. "W-Wait a minute! Where are we even going?!" 

"To the Red King." Zero replied, laughter echoing. "He doesn't like to wait so we best hurry!"

... 

Yuuki jumped from rooftop to rooftop. 

She looked around, knowing that the person threatening the safety of the school was around. The third presence of a pureblood was subdued, like the pureblood in question was suppressing his aura that he once flaunted in the past. The action was worrying- why would they suddenly want to hide their presence now? Yuuki had let her mind trail temporarily when she felt it. The girl leapt forward just as a shadow fell into the spot she was just in, debris scattering everywhere. She turned around with Artemis in front of her, facing whoever it was that attacked her. The dust had cleared, revealing a man with obvious Kuran features. But what stood out to her was the dual colored eyes that stared at her with such... _Boredom? _

"So here you are... The youngest and most energetic pureblood princess in this world." The man drawled, stuffing his hands into his coat pockets. 

Yuuki narrowed her eyes. "Nice to meet you. Are you Rido-ojii-sama?"

The man, Rido, chuckled. "You are a carbon copy of Juri... Unfortunately, I am no longer interested in chasing after imitations." 

_Imitations?_ Yuuki wanted to bite back but was confused as to what he was saying. _What did he mean by imitations? _

"My Leya is much more beautiful." Rido took a step forward. "But I suppose it wouldn't hurt to snatch up another prize while I'm at it. It's been so long since I've had a decent toy to play with." 

Yuuki barely had any time to react when Rido suddenly appeared in front of her. She swung Artemis but was blocked by Rido's hand before it could do any damage. He stared deep into her eyes, a dark mist slowly beginning to settle over her consciousness.

"_Obey my will like a good girl._" 

Yuuki was pulled back by her waist and away from the pureblood with a yell of her name. She gasped, the dark mist disappearing now that she was far away from him. She looked at her savior. 

"Aidou-senpai?" 

"Idiot!" He scolded. "Don't fall for that!" 

"I'm not!" She retorted back, both vampires turning their attention to the pureblood. 

Rido had his eyes trained on Yuuki's figure. "Yuuki, huh? What a bad girl you are, swinging something so dangerous..." He smirked. "I borrowed its strength when I killed Haruka." 

The revelation had shocked Yuuki but she wasn't going to let this hinder her from her goals. "Senpai, move back. Let me defeat him. I have come here just for that..." 

All vampires looked to the side, sensing another enemy approaching. Yuuki pushed Aidou backward and off of the roof, the vampire yelling in surprise as he fell. Just as she had pushed him away, a blur of silver attacked and was followed with a flash of purple, just barely missing the two purebloods. Once Yuuki was on her feet, she took notice of what it was. Long silver vines with thorns were imbedded into the rooftop. A figure walked along the silver vines, the smoke clearing to reveal a head of silver hair. Yuuki stared wide eyed at Ichiru, who stood there with the very same vines curled around his arm. They briefly made eye-contact; Ichiru's gaze void of emotion and hers filled with too many of them. It hurt to see Ichiru gaze at her with such cold eyes but this was her life now. 

Ichiru turned back to where Rido would've stood. "Hey... How long do you plan to sleep?"

The vines moved, circling Ichiru's hand and forming a very familiar gun. Bloody Rose was firm in Ichiru's grip, pointing to the smoking hole in the roof. "It's time to wake up, vampires." 

His attack was interrupted by another blur of silver. Yuuki's Artemis scythe blocked the vines from doing anything else. Ichiru glared at the girl who glared right back. 

"What are you doing? You are the enemy." 

Yuuki huffed. "I've decided long ago that I will be Ichiru's ally. Even if we are enemies too."

Ichiru scoffed. "Do as you wish. It matters to me none, just don't get in my way during this." 

_ Chapter 43: END _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Done!  
How was it? Was it good?  
On another note, messing with Rido's inner workings a bit was a fun. Tried to make him appear a bit unhinged but I probably failed on that. Might go back on a regular update schedule but with everything that has been going on, it will be sporadic at best. Short Q&A Wouldn't Zero be more in character in Ichiru's place? It would since that's how this original story went, but who said I abide by the rules? Is it part of the plot? Yes, plot is important here. Is it for the Kaname/Zero? Oh, most definitely. Hopefully that answers your questions, dear reader. Now, I might have to make a one-shot or something about role reversal...  
Remember, any questions can be asked in the comments and will be answered in the end notes of the next chapter.
> 
> Until next time...


	46. Downhill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are rapidly going downhill yet no one knows who will remain standing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahem.   
Hello my lovely readers, it's been awhile no? Since my story has passed over 10k hits mark, which baffles me. People actually click this story to read? I... I appreciate that so much.   
Things to note before reading- I've decided that this will be a series split into separate books. So by the time you've read this, Under the Moonlight will be completed and will go under revision (fixing grammar, removing/adding parts, etc.). Part 2, In A Moonlit Waltz, will be posted once revision is done and more chapters are added. Currently at 6 chapters, including prologue. Ah, but I digress. 
> 
> Do enjoy and thank you for reading.

The bat frantically flapped its wings as it struggled to get out of the vampire's grasp. It squeaked and cried out, the grip tight upon its tiny body. Behind the woman stood many other vampires, all seeming to have gathered there for a purpose.

"What is that you want with us? To summon us all here like this... Kaname-sama."

She let go of the bat, allowing it to fly back over to its master. Once it landed on Kaname's hands, it melted into shadows and soaked underneath the skin of Kaname's outstretched hand.

"At the very beginning of everything, I found myself slowly sinking into a pit of despair about the condition of vampires..." Kaname sighed softly. "And even after being awoken from a slumber that lasted many ages, I find you all still building the same invisible cage without changing one little bit."

This had the group of vampires murmuring in confusion. 

"Kaname-sama, what in the world are you talking about?" 

He ignored their questions. "The decision I had taken in my first period of despair... I initially had changed my mind about it and held back but now... Now, the time has come for me to do it. And you are going to be the first ones." 

A man stepped up. "Kaname-sama, we realize you are rejecting the council but..."

Another stepped forward. "The council is a necessary system to allow vampires to go on existing. The council exists for the main purpose of maintaining the balance between us and the others. Your own grandfather, the respectable last king of the Kuran had said so himself. "

Kaname hummed. "A system that can no longer tell good from evil is a system that can no longer be used... Is that not the case?" He lifted his hand, uttering only one word. "_Now_." 

All the vampires in front of him had frozen in place, hands reaching up to grab ahold of their heads. Kaname gazed upon the vampires unwillingly following his orders, his mind going to Yuuki when she was young, sweetly smiling at him. 

_Kaname-sama is... A kind, gentle vampire!_

"I'm sorry Yuuki... I'm not a gentle vampire, after all."

Blood splattered as heads rolled. 

... 

Wind picked up at an almost unnatural pace. 

Zero swiped his hair out of his face, the wind making him squint his eyes to catch a glimpse of what was happening. While he knew it was cruel of him to make Ichiru think he was dead, it was a necessary evil. Even now, he knew that the hatred both Yuuki and Ichiru shared was what would keep them going.

However.

This wasn't the Rido people were used to dealing with in the past. This was _Ambrogio_, the mastermind who knows how to play the game. Ambrogio was playing them both- disappearing and reappearing in a burst of blood and shadows. His attacks seemed random but were calculated. It hadn't helped that Ichiru and Yuuki constantly clashed when the other had blocked an attack unintentionally. Maybe it was time for him to make an appearance... 

Zero stood from his spot on the rooftop and jumped. 

...

The silver vines of Bloody Rose zipped past Yuuki and slammed into the spot where Rido once stood. Arms raised to shield her face as a burst of wind was sent her way, dust clouding up around her. Yuuki allowed herself to move her hands and open her eyes once it was deemed safe and clear enough. Bloody Rose retracted back to Ichiru as he approached, walking on the vines and somehow avoiding the adorning sharp thorns. 

"Listen freak, you're my prey." Ichiru looked down at the empty space. "Behave as a hunted animal should behave and at least try to fight and escape your death."

Rido formed from his shadows and gave Ichiru a smirk. "Why am I your prey, little hunter?" 

Ichiru didn't respond, only glaring.

"Oh, that's right..." Rido gasped dramatically, cockily walking up to the hunter with no fear. "Is it because I took a bite out of your twin? He was begging for it, looking so delectable in my presence..." 

That had gotten a reaction out of him. Ichiru's face twisted into an ugly anger, a hatred so much more intense than he once held for Shizuka. Bloody Rose attacked the vampire once more, only for Rido to dodge the attack. Rido remained unfazed and laughed, reappearing in yet another spot.

"Have I hit a nerve? You seem to be making a big mistake about our roles, little hunter..." He pointed a finger, face relaxing into an unreadable expression. "You, are the one who's prey. You, who monopolizes my treasure's affections." 

Yuuki took this chance to attack Rido from behind, scythe swung backward, itching to slice through the man who ruined her life so. 

**CLANK!**

Metal hit metal- Yuuki's scythe was thwarted by Bloody Rose's vines once more. 

"Get away from my prey," Ichiru glowered at the girl. "Don't you dare attempt to take it from me." 

Yuuki glared right back, anger rising. "Why should I? I just want be rid of the man who is the source of my troubles. Honestly, why do you never want to-" 

Wind sliced a thin line across Ichiru's cheek, stopping her mid-sentence and had her recoiling in slight shock. Rido laughed, head tilting backward. 

"When you get angry like that, your aura becomes so similar to Juri." 

Ichiru had enough of the pureblood's mocking words. Using Bloody Rose, he let its vines wrap around Yuuki and threw the girl off the roof, ignoring her startled scream as she fell. Rido only watched her fall, not at all fazed by what had just happened. He turned back to Ichiru, all pretense of playing gone. 

"At least handle my toy with care," Rido drawled, taking a step forward. "However, this is much better... I can finally be rid of the one thing that keeps my Leya out of submission." 

"_Leya, Leya, Leya_... You've said that name so many times." Ichiru rolled his shoulders and getting ready for an uninterrupted battle. "Who is this Leya and why are you after them?" 

Seeing Rido's expression melt into such a lovestruck and insane smile was something Ichiru hadn't expected. It had taken him aback- who was this person that could have a pureblood act like so? Ichiru had a feeling that he wouldn't like the answer. 

"Oh? He didn't tell you? Leya is your lovely twin, Kiryuu Zero." 

Ichiru's blood ran cold, only to ignite with a burning rage. 

...

Aidou looked up when he spotted a growing shadow on the ground and saw a falling Yuuki. 

He began to panic, running to where she would land with his hands open to catch her. "Why are you falling off the- ARGH!" 

Yuuki had landed on the aristocrat's back, the vampire falling face first into the ground with a loud crack. Yuuki looked down at what- or rather, whom - she had landed on. Seeing familiar blond hair, she put a hand over her mouth and stepped off of him. 

"Oh, sorry Aidou-senpai..." 

"I-It's o-okay... I automatically tried to catch but failed is all..." 

The ground rumbled and a loud bang echoed in the air. Yuuki looked up at the building with surprise, faintly hearing Ichiru's yells but never making out what he was saying despite her advanced hearing. Aidou followed her gaze and began to talk, wiping off the dust on his person. 

"Kiryuu Ichiru... He seems to be failing to show proper respect to purebloods lately... What are those things on his body, anyway?" 

Yuuki stared. "I think it was Bloody Rose. It's shape changed and it could be stopped by my Artemis so it has to be that... But why would Ichiru have Zero's gun?" 

Another rumble sounded. Yuuki immediately remembered that despite them being so far from the actual dorms, there were still students around. She turned to Aidou with a serious expression. 

"Aidou-senpai, please go cheer up the Day Class girls!" 

"Huh?" Aidou stood up. "Don't say stupid things. Kaname-sama told me to protect you." 

"But for normal human girls, a situation like this is really frightening..." She gave him puppy eyes and clasped her hands in front of her. "If Aidou-senpai appears for them and smiles with his usual smile while going 'Don't worry! I'll protect you all!' then the girls will certainly feel reassured." 

Adding insult to injury, she glanced up through her eyelashes. "You can do that, right senpai?" 

Aidou sighed. "Okay... Alright. I'll do as you want and get out of here before he takes control of my mind. But you watch out. Don't go being careless and letting him flip your skip or something. Otherwise, Kaname-sama will have my head!"

Yuuki bristled at the vampire who ran off. "I'll be perfectly fine!" 

Looking back at the building, Yuuki braced herself.

... 

Zero finally reached the wrecked building. 

Amethyst eyes stared up at the damage done and currently being done. He figured that by now, the battle had progressed to its more dangerous stages. He only hoped that he wasn't too late in stopping Ambrogio from exposing the connection between Leya and Kiryuu Zero. Debris fell, following by a cloud of dust and gust of wind. The dust barely cleared when he felt a presence from behind. Whipping around, Zero was captured into an embrace. Strong arms wrapped around him, refusing to let go. Zero struggled, coming to a stop when he heard a familiar voice say loudly.

"Mm.." Ambrogio inhaled softly, rubbing his cheek on Zero's hair. "Leya." 

But as always, there was a catch whenever Ambrogio does things like this. Vines of silver came at full speed towards them both, only to stop when Bloody Rose sensed its current owner by its target. Dust had finally cleared, the vines nearly a breath's width from his face. 

"What are you plan...ing... "

Zero's sentence trailed off when he spotted the person in front of them. There stood Ichiru, staring wide eyed and in disbelief at the sight in front of him. 

"Aniki...?" Ichiru looked and sounded so pitiful that it broke Zero's heart. "How... How are you still alive?"

_ Chapter 44: END _


	47. End The World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was almost as if their once carefully crafted world was coming to an end.

Maria stared into the distance, eyes unseeing to the world in front of her but not to the world from the owl's eyes. It flew over the town and dipped under the trees when she saw it. There through the window panes stood Kaname, unmoving in the room filled with the ash of what once was other vampires. Kaname had turned, making eye contact with the owl and effectively scaring Maria. With a gasp, Maria jolted in her seat and was nearly frozen with fear. The owl feather in her hand was tightly held, her figure trembling just the slightest. 

"Oh no..." She breathed out. "This is terrible... What should I do...?" 

_Back at the school, I remember having seen that person before. When I had looked in between the cracks of Shizuka-sama's conscience as she was in my body... That person is..._ Maria stood up and ran to her parents.

"Mother, Father! Something terrible has happened! Kaname-sama has..."

... 

The blunt side of the blade slashed at yet another person, knocking them unconscious. 

"I kind of expected this but... To turn your blade against the Hunter Association to protect those spoiled vampire brats. You must have lost your mind, Kaien Cross." 

Kaien looked up at his fellow hunter. "My blade? I have no blade to fight you people..." 

Yagari laughed in the background, throwing backward another person. "Seriously, they make me laugh!" 

"The ones who are being made to throw away their lives in this fight..." A hand reached out for Kaien, the man pivoted on his heels and elbowed the attacker hard in his gut. "Are the vampires you have enslaved!" 

From beside the hunter, the President spoke up. "Leave this battle to the vampire slaves as planned." 

"President!" 

"You and the others, go and hunt down the students of the Night Class." The President finished, earning a tiny protest from the hunter they talked to. "Their existence is inconvenient and causes trouble for the humans... Go and enjoy to your hearts' content- your beloved hunt. The matter over here will be solved shortly anyway." 

The hunters immediately sensed the presence of multiple vampires and all of them looked up in unison at the branches filled with vampires. Their President remained unfazed by the sudden arrivals, smirking from behind their hand fan. 

"Since our reinforcements are here." 

Yagari clicked his tongue. "So they came as we thought. But for hunters to call them to battle so easily... Since when did the Hunter Association become so friendly with the dogs from the Vampire Council?!" 

The other hunters were clearly taken aback about the arrivals as well. 

"President, what in the world is this supposed to-" 

The words were cut off when the metal hidden beneath the fan peeked out and was held at the hunter's neck. "The world of Hunters and Vampires must collaborate with one another by eliminating each other's inconveniences." The President began. "I have realized that this would be necessary from now on. And even if some of you don't get it yet, you'll understand soon." 

The President pointed their fan in Kaien's direction. "Well then. Go and do your work! And then go crush it into dust- that castle of sand of a school which this foolish man has created in his attempt to make come true a stupidly utopic dream... Under the influence of that witch of a woman."

The vampires leapt forward, ready to attack the man who closed his eyes with a soft sigh. He remembered the reason as to why he created Cross Academy.

... 

"It's been a long time since we last saw each other, Kaien Cross." 

Kaien looked up at the woman underneath the hood. The face of Juri Kuran looked down at him, smiling softly. "You are quite famous now. 'The cold-blooded hunter who has killed countless amounts of vampires'. What change of heart has made you try to kill me just now?" 

Kaien said nothing, listening to Juri talk. 

"You know well I don't do the type of things that would get me in the Hunters' execution lists. Or is it that you were planning to capture and sell me to the ill-intentioned people who desire purebloods for the miracle drug our blood represents?"

Exhaling softly, Kaien answered in monotone as he bled from his head. "The Kurans are the purebloods at the very core of the vampire world. I thought that if I could eliminate them, then maybe... I would finally be free of the ties that bind me to this fate." 

"I knew you would say something like that one day. That's why I told you to come to our house back then, long ago. I am sorry I hurt you when I countered your attack." Juri wrapped her arms around her middle. "It happened so fast that I didn't have time to hold back my power. I couldn't take the risk because there's a life growing inside me that I had to protect at any costs..." 

Kaien looked at Juri's covered middle with a look of strangeness.

Juri pouted. "I didn't expect to be stared at like that, like it's some kind of bizarre creature..." 

"I... I tried to take your life. Why didn't you take mine?"

"Actually, meeting you here was quite convenient. I had just escaped the surveillance of Haruka and the guards to see you." Juri smiled. "I was thinking that if it was in a place where someone like you would be watching over... Then perhaps I could send my child to school too." 

Kaien's eyes widened at what Juri was implying.

"I want them to see the many faces of this world and to enjoy their youth in a lively world where they'll have all the freedom of laughing and crying at will. That's why, if you don't want your life, I ask you to give me..." 

... 

_... That school you have._

Kaien opened his eyes, swinging his blade at one of the vampires that attacked him. It slashed the vampire in half, its remains turning to ash. 

"Hunting vampires just because we are hunters, viewing them as the enemy just because they are vampires. Those reasons no longer hold meaning for me." Kaien glowered at the hunters. "Even more so, if my own people are corrupt and are planning to brandish those reasons solely to use me for their own selfish desires!" 

"Hey! What do you mean by selfish-" 

"Do not listen to him!" The President interrupted, not wanting the truth to be exposed. "Cross still has regrets about the position of president, which he let slip between his fingers. It's understandable, considering the immense authority that comes with such a title. For example, I have the right to order that anyone who disobeys my orders be executed." 

The hunters jolted at the cruel tone the President used. 

Yagari rolled his eyes and sprinted off. "I'll go catch and stop the ones that went after the Night Class." 

Kaien didn't even look. "I'm counting on you. I'll finish things quickly here. Right now, I'll make it so that this person will no longer be able to remain the Association President." 

He shoved past the hunter by the President. "Please get out of my way." 

"Cross... So you do indeed intend to try and take my place as President? Too much like the Kiryuu twins, you are a being born already carrying a sin. You disgusting man, are worthy of the nickname that was given to you. 'The Vampire without Fangs'." 

Kaien ignored the President's taunts and grabbed their extended hand, taking a sniff and finding the scent to be suspicious. 

"I wonder why is it that there's a barely perceptible scent coming from your body..." He narrowed his eyes. "The scent of a vampire which you didn't have before."

Before anyone can process it, Kaien's blade cut through the President's wrist, successfully removing the limb. They screamed at the pain, blood splattering. 

"And I wonder, why is it that an anti-vampire blade can cut through your flesh now?"

The hunters that remained stared at the scene in shock.

"Impossible!" 

"President?!" 

The President themselves remained shocked as blood from the wound consumed their body. "But... I don't remember ever becoming a vampire?! Why?!" 

Kaien dropped the hand that disintegrated. "The blood of a pureblood can strengthen one's body or be much like poison. The vampire who gave you his blood must've been a quite strong assertive one. You thought you had absorbed his power, when it was the opposite that occurred."

Blood covered the President, turning their body an unsettling black. 

"Just what did you give to the vampire council in exchange for the blood they gave you?"

"Ha... Ha, ha, ha...!" The President laughed as they were being broken apart. "You pitiful fools. Do you have any idea how much I struggled to have them allow you to go on living? Wallow in the regrets of your foolish act while you can, now that you have lost me. You are lost as well!" 

The last words of the former President echoed in the forest as they turned into dust and ash. One of the hunters rushed forward and grabbed Kaien by the shoulder. 

"Oi, Cross! The President- what the hell was all that?!"

"It was the last moments of a man who was severely mistaken. Although, it wouldn't have been any weirder if I had ended up the way he did." 

"But Cross, you too have made plenty of mistakes." The hunter replied. "It was you that brought that net of hornets into a school filled with human children. That you did it for the sake of someone else doesn't make it any less your own selfish desire too."

The hunters surrounded Kaien. 

"Kaien Cross, you are under arrest of the Hunter Association." 

Kaien sighed. "As the person in charge of the academy, won't you let me at least close things down properly? I still need to erase all traces of the vampires' presence there."

...

Shoes tapped against the stone floor. 

The woman came to an eventual stop, standing above the still body of Ichijo Takuma. The vampire laid there unmoving but not yet dead if the indication of his rising and falling chest was to be trusted. The woman smiled, kneeling down to run their hand through Ichijo's hair. 

"I hurried here to try and make Kaname-san change his mind but... It turns out my presence here came in handy in an unexpected way." The voice chuckled as they continued to talk to the unconscious blonde. "If I hadn't stopped you, you were going to sacrifice your life to be able to take down your grandfather." 

Shirabuki Sara tilted her head, eyes half-lidded with satisfaction as she stared down at Ichijo. "How lucky... I was planning to do some coaxing and make Ichiou give you to me. You'll come in quite handy for me to know what Kaname-san has in store. I'm so happy that such a wonderful pawn has fallen into my hands."

...

"Aniki... How are you still alive...?" 

Zero felt his throat tighten just like the grip around his waist had. The silver vines of Bloody Rose retracted back to Ichiru, the gun's nozzle lowering down to the ground. Ichiru stared at him so hopefully, glad that his brother wasn't dead or still in the process of dying. But then, that light dimmed once they lowered to the arms wrapped around his waist. 

"Ichiru... I- I can't tell you that." 

Lavender eyes narrowed down. "Just like you couldn't tell me that it was Kuran Rido who was after you? Or the fact that you continue to keep secrets from me?" 

That had Zero flinching and recoiling backward, unconsciously shifting closer into Ambrogio's embrace. "It is all for our own good, Ichiru. I wanted to tell you but how strange would it be if I outright said that I know and see things others don't?"

"It would've been better than seeing you almost die!" Ichiru growled, not at all liking the situation they've been thrown into.

"Anything would have been better than having you die instead!" Zero yelled back, stunning Ichiru into silence. "I've seen you die, Ichiru. I am not going to make that a reality. I'm not..." 

The tears were ready to spill, having already gathered in his eyes at the thought of Ichiru dying. No... This was the better path as long as Ichiru can grow and experience life. From behind, he felt the growl rumble through Ambrogio's chest, having caught onto what Zero was feeling. 

Zero felt fear rise up in him but not for himself. "D-Don't you dare harm my brother or... Or I'll-" 

He squeaked in surprise when he was roughly turned and crushed back into the vampire. Looking up, Zero saw the familiar features of the Kuran Clan twisted into such sadistic pleasure, an evil smirk 

"Or you'll do what, Leya? Hm? Are you going to kill me? With what weapon?" Ambrogio's words were like needles, Zero stared up with wide eyes. "You won't do anything without hurting everyone else in the process so try again, treasure." 

Zero gritted his teeth, eyes conveying all the curses he bid upon the man. Ambrogio sneered. 

"I'll enjoy beating the submission into you for a second time, darling." 

"Hey..." Ichiru's voice pierced through the silence. "Don't forget I'm still here. Return back my brother, Kuran Rido." 

From behind them came a resounding gasp. Zero looked from over the man's shoulder to spot Yuuki, Artemis barely held in her loosening grip. She looked at the scene with shock, wondering why Zero was in her uncle's grip. 

"W-What... Zero, why are you in Rido's arms?" 

Zero wanted to groan. Why, oh _why_, did this have to happen now? As if that wasn't enough, yet another person came onto the scene.

"So... You were the treasure Rido talked about."

His heart nearly jumped out of his chest at the sound of Kaname's voice, the last person he had wanted to see right now. Zero turned his head to the right, staring at the pureblood who watched right back with an unreadable expression. All the while, Ambrogio continued to smirk in amusement. 

"And here the family gathers. What a reunion." 

_ Chapter 45: END _


	48. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A reunion of high power- the pieces are all here, it's a matter of who will make the next move.

"And here the family gathers. What a reunion." 

All eyes sans Zero turned to Ambrogio with a variation of reactions. Ichiru has expressed clear disgust at the implication of being related to vampires- even more so a _Kuran pureblood._ Yuuki was shocked and confused as she could ever be, which at this point had Zero sighing in disbelief. And Kaname... Oh, Kaname was a different story. Unlike the clear expressions of the previous two people, Kaname was stone-faced. Eyes had darkened into a smoldering gaze that never left Zero's own, the corner of his lips turned just the slightest downward, indicating his displeasure at what was happening in front of him.

Zero exhaled shakily, never breaking eye contact with the man. _Oh dear... _The images played out in the depths of crimson. 

"We are not family," Zero said breathily, breaking eye contact and tilting his head back to stare at the world upside down. "We are but pieces in a chess game. Do not act as if we mean something." 

"Lately," Kaname's voice broke into the conversation. "I seem to be agreeing with Zero. Now, unhand him."

Ambrogio merely glanced up. "Ordering your betters is not polite, nephew. But I'm not letting my treasure go for a second time in a row." 

"Second time?" Ichiru cut in. "The hell you mean by a second time? Aniki hasn't told me anything about you." 

"Leya doesn't tell anyone anything," Ambrogio spat. "However, his mystery is what makes him so attractive." 

"Is that why you're now targeting him?" Yuuki said in disbelief. "Because he's attractive? I'm not letting you ruin Zero's life like you did mine!" 

The girl rushed forward, scythe pulled back to swing at Ambrogio's neck. However, the attack was intercepted by the vines of Bloody Rose, the girl dodging and skidding on her feet, away from the pair. Ambrogio had pulled both himself and Zero out of harm's way, landing a good distance away from the now bickering pair. 

"Are you insane, stupid girl?!" Ichiru yelled, gun pointed in Yuuki's direction. "You could've hurt Aniki!" 

"I would never hurt Zero!" She yelled back, gripping Artemis' handle tightly. "If you would just let me at him-" 

"Enough of that." Kaname was suddenly in front of Yuuki. "While I wouldn't bother myself with fighting you, I cannot forgive the fact that you pointed that weapon at Yuuki." 

Upon feeling the pureblood's irritation grow into anger, Zero twisted in Ambrogio's grip and faced the trio about to fight. He opened his mouth to try and stop Kaname from harming Ichiru, only to have a hand slapped over it and his vision swallowed up in shadows. 

"We're leaving, treasure."

No one would notice them missing until it was too late. 

...

Bloody Rose's vines redirected to where the pureblood stood. 

The vines had first cut off the hand extended towards it, before wrapping around Kaname's body, seeming a bit docile despite being sharp enough to cut through the vampire. Blood splattered into the air, the scent of pure blood being spilt becoming a prominent smell. Ichiru felt Bloody Rose pulsate, something he had only heard Zero talk about once. He remembered when Zero described how it felt to hold Bloody Rose for the first time. 

_'At first, there was nothing. But then, I called out its name and Bloody Rose pulsed like a heartbeat in sync with mine.'_ Zero had told him brightly. _'Almost as if saying, I'm alive and I recognize you as my **master**.' _

He barely had any time to process his thoughts when Kaname sighed softly and began to talk to the weapon meant for hunters. 

"Bloody Rose," He began. "If you have awakened that much, you must recognize my own voice?" 

In response, the weapon pulsed but in an almost painful matter. It was nothing like the second-nature heartbeat that Zero had talked about so fondly- instead, it felt like someone sent an electric shock throughout his body and it left him trembling. _Damned Kuran... What the hell did he do to Bloody Rose? _

"Would you kindly take down these vines restraining me...? There is someone I want to protect." 

Bloody Rose began to retract its vines upon hearing it's original owner's command. Ichiru struggled to hold himself up, the price of temporarily wielding the weapon taking its toll on him. He shook off the creeping blurriness of his vision, glaring up at Kaname. 

"You... You've wielded Bloody Rose before Aniki, haven't you?" 

Kaname gave him a wry smile in response as the blood from his flowing wound formed a large blade to fight Ichiru with. "Thank you, Bloody Rose." 

Ichiru glanced down at Bloody Rose. "Please, lend me your strength one more time..." 

Just as the two readied their attacks, Yuuki stepped in between them both. 

"Stop it!" She yelled, the blade made of Kaname's blood so close to harming her. 

"Yuuki." Kaname glowered at her. "You must step aside. I won't forgive him, for pointing a weapon in your direction. Even if you hate me for centuries, I..." 

Yuuki looked him straight in the eye as the blade dissipated into the air. "I don't want you saying sad words, especially not now. While you guys were fighting, Rido had left with Zero in his grasp." 

Yuuki's statement had both males looking at the spot Rido and Zero had once been. Now, it was vacant and filled with debris. Kaname gritted his teeth, a disgusting and hollow feeling settling in his chest. He turned around, not wanting Yuuki to see this bitter expression. 

"As you please," he told her as he walked away. "The two of you may take your time saying farewell." 

"Kaname-senpai..." 

"Besides, you are already aware of the one and only place where you must be, Yuuki." 

With Kaname gone, Yuuki had turned to Ichiru and nearly felt her heart collapse. Ichiru had fallen to his knees, eyes unseeing as he stared at the ground. Bloody Rose laid by his side, the vines that once coiled around his body was gone as if it hadn't been there in the first place. She approached and fell on her knees in front of him. Ichiru seemed like his whole world had been torn apart and in all honesty, it had. The pillar that was his stable support was gone, taken by some insane pureblood. And of course, said pureblood was apart of the one and only Kuran family. As of now, he couldn't even look Yuuki in her face. Yuuki reached out, wanting to comfort Ichiru even if it was temporary.

"DON'T!" 

Ichiru's shout startled her. "Don't... Just don't..." 

Yuuki retracted her hand to her person, staring at Ichiru's trembling figure. These past events have taken its toll on Ichiru, so much so that he felt like crying. Once again, he was that tiny child who relied so much on his brother that he panicked once his protector was gone. She desperately wanted to be his protector but knew that now she was a vampire- his sworn enemy. 

"Tell me, Yuuki..." 

She pipped up, looking at Ichiru who refused to make eye contact with her. 

"Is the girl I grew up with still in there?" 

Yuuki sucked in a deep breath. "... She's there, but I feel like I can no longer connect with the human me. Just know that everything is genuine and while I can't turn back time, I'll forever have you in my thoughts." 

Ichiru laughed bitterly. "Such poetry... Did you just make that up on the spot or...?" 

"Hey!" Yuuki bristled, turning Ichiru's laugh into a happier one. 

"We'll be enemies now, Yuuki." He finally looked up at her. "Are you alright with that?" 

"... I'm okay with it." She agreed after a pause. " Even if this is our fate, I'll wait for the day we no longer have to fight." 

Ichiru stared at her, contemplating something before coming to a decision. Yuuki was barely able to process it when a pair of lips pressed against hers. Her brain short circuited, her mind running blank. The kiss was chaste and while it felt like an eternity, it was merely a few seconds. When he pulled away, Yuuki blinked owlishly and looked up at Ichiru with wide eyes.

"That's my goodbye. Go on, don't make your beloved Kaname wait any longer." 

"But-" _Why did you kiss me? Out of all times, why now?_

"Go. The next time we'll meet, it's either as enemies or temporary allies to find Aniki." He gave her a lopsided smile. "He is, after all, the holding glue to our trio." 

Yuuki smiled back, ignoring the bittersweet feeling in her heart. "Until then..." 

She turned around and began to walk away, leaving Ichiru alone amongst the debris and ruined building. Once he was alone, Ichiru stared at the ground and remained unmoving. He breathed in for a few moments, letting the past events sink in and when it did, it hit him hard. Now, Ichiru was all alone, it felt like his world had truly ended then and there. But it hadn't just ended yet- knowing that his brother was still out there gave him the motivation to live. 

**Don't worry, Aniki... _I'll save you if it's the last thing I do._**

_Chapter 46: END_


	49. A Different Path

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone has to go their different ways- even if it's something they didn't want to do.

After walking away from Ichiru, Yuuki found herself heading towards the building where the students resided. She came to a stop at a lamp post, the snow falling softly. While her heart screamed to return to Ichiru and comfort him, she knew she couldn't do that. Not when he was already experiencing the emotional turmoil that came with losing Zero... _Zero_, Yuuki bit her lip. The one that held them together; the one who resolved conflicts and treated her so warmly. Zero, the beloved knight that protected so fiercely... 

**Is gone. **

The realization gripped at her so suddenly. She slid to the ground on her knees, the tears finally spilling in large droplets. Yuuki began to sob and hiccup, sniffling in failed attempts to keep her sadness at bay. 

"I don't want to be e-enemies with Ichiru... Zero... W-What should I d-do? Why did I h-have to l-lose y-you b-both?" She gasped for air, hugging herself tightly. "I d-don't know what to do..." 

Yuuki remembered the kiss Ichiru had bestowed upon her before she had left him alone, the way Zero had comforted her before her memories were unsealed despite knowing he'll face a fate much worse than hers. _I can't change the past but I can move forward._

Yuuki wiped away her tears and stood up. Ignoring the bitterness that swelled in her heart, she began to walk once more. 

_I can only push for that future when we will all be together again. _

... 

Yagari stood amongst the ash that flew into the air. 

"You kids did an impressive job of finishing those guys up..." He said, staring straight ahead. "I had a lot less work to do thanks to that but..."

He took a deep breath of his cigarette, feeling it burn in his lungs and throat. He exhaled, looking over his shoulder at the group of vampires standing behind him. 

"Typically, vampires who choose to stand against the Council are ostracized by their families and get massacred in the most horrible manners." He glared. "It's the same case even for aristocrats. What are you thinking by going that far to protect humans?" 

Kain spoke up first. "Well... They're students of the same school. And it's our responsibility to stop fellow vampires foolish enough to think humans are no more than livestock." 

Ruka brushed back her hair. "Our families are the ones who allowed us to come in the first place. It'll cause trouble for them but I'm sure they'll understand our choices... If I had allowed such sordid creatures to lay their hands on the students, I would never have forgiven myself." She sighed. "How could we possibly obey the council when they were pulling the strings behind all this?"

Yagari turned around fully, hand and cigarette hanging limp by his side. "Indeed. Thanks to this school, you too have come to understand that some things can't really be put in simple words..."

... 

Debris fell as smoke floated above the ruined building. 

"So..." One hunter began. "He did all this by himself and was fine? Hey, if that's true then that Kiryuu kid doesn't have anything human in him anymo-" 

Kaien glared at the hunter, stopping him in his tracks. "Don't glare at me! It's true! Where did he go, that brat?"

"Maybe he's still there...?" 

The chains rattled as the hunter pulled one end of the cuff connected to Kaien's wrist. "Show me the way. I'm in charge of this hunt and I decide to maintain the orders to capture him. Ichiru is dangerous."

"It will be okay. That child... For now I'd like you to give him a little more time and privacy." Kaien sighed. "Besides, I have countless things to do that are of absolute priority. It's my responsibility as the one who plunged this school in danger... And it's my job as Chairman to tie the loose ends of this crisis." 

... 

Ice crackled around the vampire before shattering completely, ash scattering. 

Aidou didn't pay much mind to anything else, focused on getting to the Day Class students and reassuring them like Yuuki asked him to. He opened the double doors with a bright smile, ready to put on the act he always had. 

"Hi there! I've kicked to the curb all the bad guys so you don't have to worry anymore!" 

He was immediately met with silence and felt awkward. "Uh..." 

They stared at him, almost as if unsure on how to feel about him. That... That had never happened. They began to whisper to one another, looks of weariness upon their faces as their eyes never strayed from his figure. 

"Stories have unfortunately spread." Seiren's voice had the blond jumping in fright. 

"Wah! Don't scare me like that!" 

Seiren ignored his reaction. "They have realized... That we are vampires." 

Aidou's eyes widened as he took another look at their faces, aware of what they're now thinking. He felt a pang, seeing them look so weary of them when they were once so affectionate. 

"W-What's with those faces? And to think it was the very first time I ever saved humans for a reason other than a sudden whim..." He held his head. "It's not like I did it expected your gratitude or anything but..." 

Aidou sighed, already giving up on getting any positive reaction. "Whatever... I see that you all are nothing but feeble creatures who tremble in fear of everything." 

Just as silence settled, a voice called out to him. There stood Sayori, Yuuki's friend. "Wakaba Sayori?" 

Yori smiled. "Thank you very much." 

Aidou blinked. _Huh?_

"I was still shaken for a bit after you save me in that room so I couldn't thank you properly before..." 

Aidou scratched his cheek. "Ah... You're welcome..." 

"Senpai!" Another girl stood up. "I've long thought that there was something weird about you all. So I'm not gonna be scared all of a sudden now!" 

The Dorm President stood up in agreement. "Yeah! We were so attached to them until now. Are we suddenly going to turn our backs on them like that? It's not as if the ones who were attacking us are with them or anything." 

Aidou looked down sheepishly, feeling a bit happy about their responses. "What's with that? You don't have to force yourselves... Sorry but I'll have to ask you to forget about everything that happened today. We will wipe your memories, so..." 

"Don't!" 

"To forget everything...?" The dorm president said in surprise. 

"No way," the other girl agreed. "I don't want to forget. Not when we're finally rid of all these secrets..." 

"Everybody who doesn't want to forget, please stand up!" 

One by one, all the students had stood up. The action stunned Aidou into silence. _Well then... _

...

Yuuki took one more look at the photo in her hands.

The photo of herself, Ichiru and Zero on their first day. Her face, so unaware and carefree with the biggest smile. Ichiru was a bit grumpy yet smiling all the same, the image making her laugh just a bit as she remembered what happened before it was taken. And Zero... Zero's smile was blinding, a dreamy quality to it as if reminding her that those days were now like a dream. She placed it down on the desk and went to take the gifted vial in her hands.

_I saw a rose that blooms only once every tens years..._ Kaname's younger voice echoed in her mind. _The next time it blooms, I'll have it solidified in resin for you..._

She exhaled and took one last look in the room. Then, she left. 

... 

"I spent all these years, investigating what happened to the two active-duty Kiryuu hunters, for them to get killed by a pureblood." Yagari told the vampires. "When I found out that there was corrupt liaisons between the high hierarchy of the Hunter Association and the Council of Ancients, I was finally certain that what happened all those years ago wasn't a pureblood losing their mind as it was said..." 

He stared each and every vampire in the face. "There was someone in the shadows, corrupting the relations between the Council and the Association." 

"That man was once after my little sister's youthful and thick blood." Kaname's voice captured everyone's attention. "Unfortunately, we learned too late that his obsession was mistakenly placed on her. He has taken Kiryuu Zero and vanished." 

Kaname stood their almost sadly despite his stoicism. "He was a man under the Council's surveillance and who had in the past, been banished from our family tree... Everything is fine now that the Council of Ancients no longer exist..." 

Yagari narrowed his eyes._ Rido took Zero?_ He knew Zero would've never willingly left Ichiru but it felt like he was still missing pieces of a story.

"Onii-sama," Yuuki's voice came from behind, her arms wrapped around her waist and her head resting between his shoulder blades. "Thank you for still remembering the promise you made me..."

Kaname smiled softly at her, ignoring the gun pointed at him. 

"While the Council was surely hateful, they still maintained their job as protectors from chaos. Without them, unnecessary conflicts will arise one after another from now on... And it's all your fault. Furthermore, you have yet to explain why a pureblood would want anything to do with Zero-" 

Ruka was ready to step in front of Kaname but was stopped by Kain. Yuuki, on the other hand, was able to do what Ruka wasn't able to. 

"Yagari-sensei!" 

There was a silent stare down before someone made a move. Kaname placed a hand on Yuuki's shoulder, pulling her from the hunter's aim. "I did so to protect the precious future ahead of us... As it would have been eaten away by their greedy hunger otherwise. I do intend to take responsibility for my acts, I worked hard for this moment to come..."

"Responsibility... What-" 

Kaname began to lead Yuuki away. "Let's go, Yuuki. We can no longer remain here..." He gave one last look at the vampires who remained by his side. "Thank you, everyone..." 

... 

Ichiru had long left from his spot. 

Now, he was in his dorm room. He sat on Zero's bed, the room filled with his scent and Zero's. He felt the tears burn but refused to let anymore fall. Ichiru had to be strong for that moment he can be reunited with his brother once more. He looked around the room, spotting a pristine white envelope on top of a leather-bound journal on the night stand that certainly wasn't there before. 

Ichiru picked up the envelope, seeing the neat script of his brother's handwriting. 

For you- when I'm no longer there by your side.

He looked at the book, deciding to read the letter first before doing so with the book. 

To my dearest brother, Ichiru...

Ichiru's eyes widened as he finished reading the letter. He turned to the book as if it was almost magical. Of course... Zero would never leave him empty-handed.

_ Chapter 47: END _


	50. The First Act Close

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first act comes to a close and the game comes to a standstill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter to the first part- enjoy!

"Takuma..." 

Ichiou glared at his grandson. "Ever since the days of my youth, when I first witnessed with my own eyes on how utterly dreadful the pureblood's power could be... I slowly started to move towards this idea. The idea would be excellent for us if our pureblooded lords could tear each other apart until they're completely extinct." 

Ichijo remained silent, his blade reflecting his solemn face. 

"It shouldn't be any different for 'that' lord, the ancestor awakened by Rido-sama. The purebloods all have in their very blood, the power to bind our will to theirs as they wish. And as such, they should all be considered by birth the mortal enemy of vampire society!" 

Right then, his eyes snapped open. 

No longer was he facing his grandfather in a darkened room. Instead, he was laid down on a soft bed, sheets covering him. The sun peeked from the window, causing him to flinch and cover his eyes with his hands. 

"Too bright..." 

"Well..." A woman's voice had Ichijo looking to the source. "You are finally awake." 

The voice continued to speak as he finally took a look at her. "You took much too long to wake up. Even for someone who got their heart partially cut out of their chest by Ichiou, it was still a long while. Even so, I knew you'd eventually regain consciousness."

Ichijo felt his eyes widen. "Shirabuki Sara-sama?" 

Sara ignored Ichijo's exclamation. "The last time we saw each other was at that party... Wasn't it, Takuma-san?" 

"Um... I'm sorry to ask this of you, Sara-sama but could you please..." 

Sara smiled at him. "Oh, I will close the curtain... But only if you answer some questions I want to ask right now."

They stared at one another in awkward silence before Sara began to giggle and close the curtains shut. "Don't worry, I'm just joking. I'll wait a bit longer before torturing you like this. I need to have you healed up first from the damage caused by Ichiou."

Ichijo sat up, feeling a bit uneasy. 

"Although, I do have some questions about Kaname-san that I want answered right now. You see, I don't know much about him..." 

A hand rested itself above the still healing wound, the blond lost in his thoughts as he recalled the beginnings of his fight. He closed his eyes, a bitterness welling up in his chest. 

"... I happen to very much hate to be ignored."

Green eyes snapped open as Sara's figure loomed over him ominously. "Will you kindly tell me absolutely everything you know about Kaname-san?" 

"Um... I definitely feel very grateful for you having... Helped me, Sara-sama but..." Ichijo smiled despite the eerie atmosphere. "You understand that I can't tell you everything about Kaname, since that would make him angry about it of course... So, how about you ask him directly?"

Sara reached out to touch Ichijo's wound. "I did ask him before and he refused to answer me. Which is why I am asking you now instead. And you are someone who was even closer to Kaname-san that the late Ichiou used to be..." Her eyes narrowed. "You know, I have a really short patience. I'm tired of beating around the bush and asking things in such a bothersome manner."

All Ichijo could feel was pain- a pain so excruciating that he saw white as the pureblood dug into his wound with no mercy. Blood painted his skin and the hand in his chest. 

"What a fool you are..." Sara stared down coldly, removing her hand and letting the blood drip from her fingertips. "Mark my words, a day will come when you will regret having protected Kaname-san with your silence." 

Ichijo panted, unwilling to go down without a fight. "Talk about being impatient indeed... You should try and learn a lesson from Kaname... By once in your life, having to withstand ten years or more for what you most want..." 

...

The wind blew hard as the snow fell. 

Underneath the forest and into the deep undergrounds of a cave, Yuuki followed Kaname. Theirs shoes tapped against the stone, the sound echoing as they walked in silence. 

"You've gotten less talkative along the way..." Kaname looked to Yuuki with a warm smile. "Is it because I've made us walk all the way from the Underground path at the bottom of the mountain? Are you tired?"

Yuuki looked up at him, her heart skipping a beat as they made eye-contact. "Actually, I like this better than being stuck in the car all that time. I'm not so weak that I'd tire down so easily... It's just that I don't really know where to start talking with all that has happened... It might seem weird but right now, having you hold my hand like this, is enough to make me happy." 

Kaname's hand squeezed hers. "Me too." He said, having the girl look up at him. "And to tell the truth, I'm not sure what to start talking about myself. At the time, your safety was priority. Now, you are safe. Physically, that is." 

Yuuki stopped in her tracks, willing her fellow pureblood to stop as well. 

"You don't have to hide your feelings, Yuuki. I already know that half your heart is still attached to him." The words stabbed like knives in her. "But you still chose to be here with me. And that's far enough to make me happy..."

"Why..." Yuuki's vision blurred with tears. "Why would you say such a lie?"

"Yuuki?" 

"There's no way that could possibly be good enough. I haven't done anything for you." She said almost bitterly. "All I did was just be carefree without knowing anything for such a long time." 

"But Yuuki," Kaname began to placate her worries. "That peace was precisely what our parents and I wished for you." 

"I know but..." She held on tighter to Kaname's hand. "From now on... Don't lie to yourself like that anymore, Kaname. At least, in front of me, you don't have to hold back like that." 

With his free hand, he reached to cup her face. "Let me see your face, Yuuki."

He tilted her head up and saw the tears threatening to spill. Even now, she trembled. "I shouldn't have told you such a thing like a know-it-all... I'm sorry." 

Kaname stared solemnly at her. "There's nothing for you to apologize for. It's exactly as you said, Yuuki... Although you are forgetting something important- which is the reason why I have to hold back like that..."

Yuuki's eyes widened as the hand that one resided on her face burst into a mock imitation of its former shape, colored in blood and slowly rebuilding muscle and tissue. 

"You're forgetting that I am in a state of starvation and I am a wounded vampire on top of that. If I forget my restraint and allow myself to lose control to hunger, I might do terrible things to you. It terrifies me to not know what could happen when I'm like that..." He smiled softly at Yuuki's disbelieving expression. "I'm not lying." 

He began to walk again, aware of Yuuki's burning gaze on his back. "I feel the same as you, I would hate if lies were to build up between us, so I'll tell you this, Yuuki- I am the one who took Shizuka's life and power with Zero as my witness." 

"Ah, here we are..." Kaname pushed open the iron door. "To kill Rido as well as escaping his hold on me to finally be free to protect you... I have pushed for the closeness between you and Ichiru."

Kaname turned around so casually as if he hadn't just given her the biggest shock in her life thus far. The inside was a stark contrast of white against the dark walls of the cave. "Come in... This is the house you were born in." 

Yuuki lowered her gaze, unable to say anything in response and entered her new living space. Kaname followed behind, talking to her softly. 

"I wish I could have shown you in through the front hall... On the surface, there's far too many people watching the mansion and waiting for us to appear. Too many troublesome things going on at the moment..." Kaname glanced at Yuuki who had remained suspiciously silent at it all.

On Yuuki's part, the girl was staring in deep thought. While she appreciated Kaname's sudden truthfulness, it wasn't very assuring. He was able to hide his secrets so well up until now, why would he be different now? 

"Are the troublesome things going on because Rido had taken Zero? Or is there something else you have yet to reveal?" Yuuki asked slowly at the urging of the tiny voice in her head.

"You are right- I have one more thing to reveal." Kaname admitted, a bit surprised about Yuuki's sudden insight. "We are hiding because I killed the entire Vampire Council." 

Yuuki tilted her head in acknowledgment. 

"... You don't even seem surprised anymore." He approached her, closing the door from behind. "Do you know why I'm talking about this now? It's because I wanted to ask you how you feel knowing about it..." 

Kaname looked down at her, "My hands, are far more tainted than you have imagined, Yuuki. Could you stand the idea of living every day being touched by someone as tainted as me?" 

A lone tear slid down Yuuki's face. Kaname stopped his pressing and turned to look behind him. 

"Seiren, are you there?" 

In an instant, Seiren was there, kneeling on one knee respectfully and a hand to balance her. "At your orders, my liege." 

Kaname walked past Yuuki as Seiren approached the girl. "Please show Yuuki her room so that she may rest."

"I... I feel sad and angry about somethings, so it's a bit of a mess right now." Yuuki told him, the pureblood coming to a stop.

"I can imagine." 

Seiren touched Yuuki's arm softly. "Come, it's this way." 

"You had decided to spend eternity in my company regardless of anything else," Kaname said. "But I really wanted to confess all my crimes to you... Even if you don't ever let me touch you again... I only ask you to please let me stay by your side anyway."

The words pierced. Yuuki felt the tears coming up and she was quickly becoming frustrated. _Why is it that all I can ever do is bring trouble and cry?_ She spun on her heels and ran to the man, grabbing his arm tightly. 

"Even if you are tainted... I... I don't mind!" She snapped her gaze up, wondering what horrible things Kaname must've endured this whole time. "Please taint me too, Onii-sama! I love your hands, tainted or not I-" 

Kaname swooped down, capturing her lips into a deep and intense kiss. He backed her into a wall, a small thump echoing as Seiren took her leave with a bow. They separated, Kaname staring deeply into her eyes. 

"What a face you make... Both now and a moment ago. A gaze like that is an invitation that no vampire can resist." He told her, unbuttoning her shirt, leaning closer to her neck as she spoke.

"I too have done things that I can't possibly atone for... And if you are to be branded as a sinful and tainted vampire, then..." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Then I want to fall down with you to the farthest depths."

Kaname's breath was like soft warm puffs against her skin, the feeling tingle where it lingered and she trembled slightly in his embrace. 

"Yuuki..." 

"Yes?" 

"You know that a vampire's hunger can only possibly be quenched by the blood of their loved one."

She closed her eyes tightly as he went to bite. "I do..." 

_Finally, I have my beloved girl in my arms to spend eternity with..._ Kaname drank Yuuki's blood though not with as much fervor as he thought he would. He frowned, his instincts growling lowly almost as if not satisfied with what he was given.

**Why... Why did it feel so _wrong?_ To have this girl in my arms? **

_ Chapter 48: END _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, the first part ends. 
> 
> Kaname seems oblivious as to why his inner beast isn't satisfied and Zero's whereabouts and conditions are unknown. The second part will definitely deal more with romance and uncovering secrets between Kaname/Zero. Tell me what you all think and do look out for the second part sometime soon. Thank you for clicking and reading my silly story up to this point. 
> 
> Until next time...


End file.
